Written by One of the questions that has been kicking around in cyberspace since last Tuesday’s election is whether Renton, Kent, and King County should coordinate with residents of Fairwood regarding the 20-year-old Potential Annexation Area (PAA) boundaries. I’ve seen this question posed in newspaper comments and I’ve heard it at city hall.
Fairwood residents obviously still hold various opinions regarding whether to stay in unincorporated King County, incorporate a new city, or join an existing city. Of the ones that favor joining a city, there are those that have explained that they associate with Kent more than Renton. These citizens have expressed that this is due in part to the school district boundaries as well as proximity to Kent shopping and parks.
In response to a councilmember’s request, the mayor sent us a map today with the school and fire districts superimposed on the area of Fairwood that just voted on incorporation.
Here is the map, and you can click the link below to get a larger downloadable PDF version of this map.
Click here for the larger PDF version of this map. (You should be able to enlarge this version on your screen to see streets).
It is clear that the bulk of Fairwood is in Kent’s school district, but it was placed in Renton’s potential annexation area 20 years ago when the growth management law took affect. This is fine for residents who consider themselves part of the Renton community; there is no requirement that school boundaries and city boundaries align– and they in fact do not in many cases. However, for those residents who consider themselves part of Greater-Kent AND are part of the Kent School District, being part of the Renton PAA might seem goofy. This is the issue that may deserve further study.
I don’t expect anything to happen soon, as Renton, Kent and King County do not have a lot of money to spend on surveys and meetings, and it seems to me that Fairwood residents deserve a break in debating their future governance.
I think that all parties should remain open to redrawing these Potential Annexation Area boundaries in the future, to fit the desires of the various Fairwood neighborhoods. If and when Fairwood residents want to formally raise this issue, I’m open to discuss it. While I can’t speak for the rest of the Renton council, I think other council members would be open to this discussion as well.
I’m certain that Renton would have done a nice job servicing this area– and when we pre-zoned it, we designated it over 96 percent single-family. (We down-zoned some areas from the density allowed in King County.) But for those who want to be in an existing city, I’m confident Kent could also do a nice job servicing neighborhoods in Fairwood.
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