Edmonds School District seeks annexation of former Alderwood Middle School to support new middle school; council to consider resolution next week

Edmonds School District representatives asked the Lynnwood City Council April 7 to move forward with a petition to annex the former Alderwood Middle School site — roughly 19 acres — into Lynnwood. The district said annexation would help meet the district’s permitting schedule for rebuilding the facility as a fifth middle school to accommodate sixth‑grade moves required by voter‑approved bond measures.

Why it matters: The district told council the parcel is the optimal site for the new middle school and that annexation would allow permit timelines to proceed on a schedule that meets the district’s obligations to voters. The council must first pass a resolution next week to forward the petition to the Snohomish County Boundary Review Board; the boundary board will then consider the petition and return a recommendation for council action on an ordinance and public hearing.

What the district told council

- School need and site: Tane Wilton (Edmonds School District capital projects) and project manager Will Thompson said the district needs a fifth middle school after voters approved a bond to move sixth grade into middle schools. The former Alderwood Middle School footprint — bounded by a road identified in the presentation as "20 Eighth" and Alderwood Mall Parkway — was presented as the optimal location because it sits adjacent to existing feeder schools and district infrastructure.

- Site constraints and planned solutions: The district showed site features including wetlands, a creek, existing county storm and sanitary lines that cross the property (some located outside recorded easements), and the adjacent Heritage Park. The district proposed shifting the school footprint to higher, drier ground, adding a stacked bus/parent circulation plan with a reconfigured Alderwood Mall Parkway intersection, and relocating sanitary lines into easements as part of redevelopment. The district also described shared-use opportunities with parks (for example, continued public access to the track) and said it will engage with the city on parking and shared amenities.

- Timing and permitting: Will Thompson and district staff said that processing the project under Lynnwood’s permitting tracks offers a pathway that meets the district’s schedule; they showed an alternate, county-led permitting timeline that they said would likely delay project opening dates. The district emphasized they must meet the bond program schedule and asked the council to vote next week to move the petition to the county Boundary Review Board for consideration.

Next steps and questions

Carl Omgren, Lynnwood’s community planning manager, told council staff will present a draft resolution at the April 14 business meeting for council to vote either to forward the petition to the Boundary Review Board or to deny the petition. That boundary board review is required under state law; if the Boundary Review Board issues a recommendation, council would then hold a public hearing and consider an ordinance adopting the annexation.

Council members asked about permit fees, emergency response and utility impacts. District staff said they are treated like other developers for permit fees and indicated Lynnwood and county public‑safety agencies already coordinate on calls in the area; staff also acknowledged county storm infrastructure crosses the site and said relocation into formal easements would be part of redevelopment plans.

No council vote was taken at the work session; council will be asked to consider forwarding the district’s petition at next week’s business meeting.