Council accepts 10% annexation petition for single property on Twentieth Street SE and instructs staff to explore boundary expansion

On Aug. 26, 2025, the Lake Stevens City Council voted to accept a 10 percent annexation petition for a single property at 11726 Twentieth Street SE and directed staff to explore whether adjacent parcels should be included in a larger annexation. Planner Jill Needham explained the direct-petition annexation process to the council and said the application property is roughly 3 acres, consists of two parcels owned by a single owner, and would be designated medium-density residential with a corresponding R-8/12 zoning if annexed. "The first step is when the landowner or landowners initiate the petition to join the city… the petition must have signatures from landowners representing at least 10 percent of the assessed value within the proposed annexation area," Needham said. By adopting Resolution 2025-08 the council accepted the 10 percent petition and authorized the applicant to circulate a formal petition that must ultimately include owners representing at least 60 percent of the assessed value in the proposed annexation area to move the annexation forward. The council also requested staff to examine whether adjacent contiguous parcels — including those with potential nonprotest conditions on earlier plats — could be added to the annexation area to streamline future utility and land-use administration. Council members discussed whether the city could bypass parts of the petition process to save the applicant time and expense; staff and legal counsel advised that the direct-petition process prescribed by state law (RCW) must be followed for this method and cannot be abbreviated, though interlocal annexation methods exist in other circumstances. The council approved the staff recommendation by vote (motion and second recorded); staff will work with the applicant on the 60 percent petition step and, if necessary, pursue any additional outreach to adjacent property owners to evaluate expanding the annexation boundary. If and when the 60 percent petition is submitted and accepted, the annexation would proceed to the Snohomish County Boundary Review Board for review before final ordinance adoption.