King City planning commission postpones recommendation on 137th Avenue annexation amid safety and infrastructure concerns

The King City Planning Commission voted Jan. 28 to postpone its recommendation to City Council on a proposed annexation that would bring parts of the Westside Trail corridor and adjacent parcels along 137th Avenue into the city.

Staff told the commission the annexation application was submitted following growth pressures tied to the Kensington Square development and to secure city jurisdiction over a portion of the Westside Trail corridor. Staff member Max said the city had received a Washington County consent letter with conditions — including a jointly agreed safety plan for the intersection at SW 100/137th and initiation of a jurisdictional transfer process — and that the Department of Revenue had flagged technical problems with the legal description that must be corrected before an ordinance can be finalized.

Commissioners and many residents urged caution. “This has the potential to be the single domino,” said a commissioner during questioning, warning that annexation could enable developers to proceed before a Transportation System Plan (TSP) amendment is complete and thereby lock in road alignments that the city might otherwise change. Several commissioners said the TSP amendment should be a higher priority before approving any action that could precipitate development.

Public testimony focused on safety, maintenance costs and utilities. Kurt Saint Clair, who said he has lived on 137th for decades, described the road’s history as a rural, substandard route and urged the commission to factor in the substantial cost to reconstruct or repave the corridor before approving annexation: “If we don’t consider this knowledge, the cart will proceed before the horse,” he said. Dave Robinson, who identified himself as a resident of unincorporated Washington County, said annexation is not mandatory and urged commissioners to defer action until the TSP is finalized and county roadway commitments are clarified.

Staff also flagged a land‑use agreement with BPA that would permit trail work under the power line corridor but includes language shifting liability for loss, damage or injury to the holder using the property. Reading the agreement aloud, staff said the holder agrees “to assume risk of loss, damage, [and] injury which may result from holder use of the property,” a provision commissioners said requires careful review before committing to park or trail improvements that rely on that corridor.

After public comments and rebuttal, Commissioner Dan moved to postpone the commission’s recommendation to Council so the city can complete the TSP amendment, resolve outstanding county consent conditions and address the Department of Revenue’s legal‑description corrections. The motion carried on a roll call vote with the majority in favor; one commissioner voted no and one announced a recusal for potential conflict of interest.

The commission’s postponement is advisory — the City Council will make the final decision if and when the commission forwards a recommendation. Staff said the next steps include correcting the legal description to meet Department of Revenue requirements, initiating the jurisdictional transfer discussions with Washington County (the county’s consent letter requests the city submit a resolution within 60 days of any annexation effective date), and coordinating TSP amendments and Metro regional project lists that could fund realignment and safety improvements.

The Planning Commission closed the public hearing and will return the matter to a future agenda after the cited follow‑up work is completed.