Enumclaw council asks staff to prepare resolutions for two annexation requests after staff recommends boundary modifications

Mayor Anthony Wright convened the Enumclaw City Council on April 27, 2026, to hear staff presentations on two annexation requests and to give direction to staff on next steps.

Chris Massenet, the city’s community development director, told the council that the city received two annexation petitions in March covering five vacant residentially zoned parcels totaling about 18 acres. Massenet said staff recommended modifying each petition to include additional adjacent parcels to make city boundaries more regular and to follow comprehensive-plan policies, which if adopted would increase the combined annexation area to roughly 38 acres with an estimated valuation of about $8.5 million. "So for tonight, staff isn't requesting that the council make a decision; I really wanted to give the council an overview on what has been submitted into the city," Massenet said.

Massenet described that both areas are zoned R-2 (low-density residential), that water and sewer stub connections are available near the proposed parcels, and that the most common annexation method is the 60% petition method in which property owners representing 60% of assessed valuation must sign a petition. He cautioned that if the council does not modify irregular boundaries the Boundary Review Board could require changes, and he recommended processing the areas in a way that reduces the chance of a required modification.

Council members discussed whether to combine the two petitions or process them separately. Committee discussion had favored separate processing so individual parcel owners would be treated equitably. One council member asked staff to consult the city attorney about whether the council could require applicants to cover the expense of a city consultant to manage annexation-related workload; the council noted staff bandwidth concerns and the administrative burden of running two annexations in parallel. Massenet said that if the council were to move forward the next steps include preparing either one modified resolution or two separate resolutions to accept, reject, or modify the annexations and then following the state-required petition and Boundary Review Board processes.

The council indicated it was open to reviewing modified resolutions at its next meeting; staff was asked to return with legal guidance and any proposed conditions. The council also noted the roles annexation can play in shaping where the city permits development and in making future utility connections and service responsibilities clear.

What happens next: staff will consult the city attorney about possible conditions (including applicant-funded consultant support) and prepare resolutions for council consideration at a subsequent meeting; council discussion suggested separate resolutions are likely.