March 20, 2010

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Round Three
Boundary Review Board to Hold Fairwood Annexation Public Meeting Monday, March 22

The proposed area considered for annexation into the City of Fairwood is essentially the same as the area considered for incorporation.

The public is invited to its first of a possible several meetings held by Washington State's Boundary Review Board about a proposed annexation of the Fairwood area into the City of Renton. The Annexation work follows two failed efforts to incorporate the Fairwood area into a new city.

Boundary Review Board members will hold their public hearing at the Fairwood United Methodist Church, located at 15255 SE Fairwood Blvd., this Monday, March 22, at 7 p.m.

A second meeting, if needed, has been tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, March 24.

For this hearing, the schedule includes:

• Opening Remarks by the Boundary Review Board
• Presentation by the Proponent Organization, the City of Renton (20 minutes allowed)
• Government Agency Presentations (15 minutes each allowed) - so far, it appears that King County and Fire District 37 will speak
• Public Testimonies - Groups (HOAs, etc.) allowed 10 minutes; Individuals allowed 3 minutes each
• Rebuttal by Proponent City of Renton
• Option to review written and oral testimonies
• Hearings are then closed and then the Board deliberates and makes a preliminary decision

The above map is the area currently serviced by Fire District 37 and would be absorbed into
the City of Renton's Fire District if an annexation passes.

Fire District 37
While most of the proposed annexation area is serviced by Fire District 40, a portion of the area is also serviced by Fire District 37, with a FD 37 fire station just a few blocks from the part of the proposed annexed area.

According to Fire Chief Jim Schneider, the District has several concerns about removing this area from the FD 37 area.

"We're concerned about the annexation because we (Fire District 37) can get to this area faster than District 40 or Renton, and the loss of this area is a loss of revenue to Fire District 37," said Schneider.

According to Schneider, the City of Renton has offered to "sit down and work out something amicable for both groups." Fire District 37's presentation may reference this conversation at Monday's hearing.

To date, Fire District 40 sources have said that they are not planning to make a presentation at the hearing, and as a group, they are not planning to take a position.

School Districts
As the date moves closer to the election, Fairwood Community News will again cover issues for consideration. However, one issue that can be quickly clarified is that local school district boundary lines will remain unchanged, so those that attend schools within the Kent School District will continue to be serviced by that district, according to Boundary Review Board's Lenora Blauman.

"Annexation does not affect school assignments. They are set by the school districts and are not related to municipal and other kinds of boundaries," said Blauman.