It’s official.
Panther Lake residents will be casting their ballots come November, to determine if they want to be annexed into the city of Kent.
The King County Council passed an ordinance Monday to put the annexation measure on the Nov. 3 ballot.
If they approve the measure come November, Panther Lake residents will start receiving services from the city, as opposed to the county, including water and emergency services.
The state Growth Management Act calls for cities to be the provider of local government services to urban areas, leaving county to focus its services to the entire region, as well as specific services to the rural unincorporated areas.
“This ordinance represents a step forward in King County’s Annexation Initiative — our countywide effort to fulfill the vision of the Growth Management Act — and to make sure residents receive the best possible urban services in the most affordable and most appropriate way,” said Councilmember Julia Patterson, who represents Kent and Panther Lake, in a county media release. “Because of the hard work put forth by the residents of Panther Lake, the city of Kent and King County, voters will finally have the opportunity to weigh in on the future of their community.”
The Kent City Council on June 16 adopted a resolution to allow Panther Lake voters decide whether to annex into the city. The Boundary Review Board for King County approved the city’s annexation proposal in November 2008.
The Panther Lake annexation area is approximately 5 square miles and with about 24,000 residents. The 10,816 registered voters in the annexation area will be eligible to vote on whether they want to join Kent.
If Panther Lake residents vote in November to join the city, the annexation would become effective July 1, 2010. The city’s population, now at 86,000 would increase to 110,000, should the annexation occur.
The borders of the proposed annexation area generally start north of Southeast 236th Street to Southeast 192nd Street, and run east of 95th Avenue South to Soos Creek Park, just east of 132nd Avenue Southeast. The area covers 5 square miles and 3,300 acres.
For more information, go to www.ci.kent.wa.us/annexation or call the city’s annexation hotline at 253-856-5799.
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