Fairwood - Petrovitsky Potential Annexation Area
The Fairwood - Petrovitsky PAA is a large 10.3-square-mile area that includes the communities of Benson Hill, Cascade, Fairwood, and Panther Lake. The Benson Hill - Cascade portion of the area voted to annex to the City of Renton and have been part of the City since early 2008. The Benson-Cascade area is 4.2 square miles in size with approximately 93 acres of park land and a population of 16,000 residents. The Fairwood portion of the area is 6.1 square miles in size with approximately 457 acres of park land/open space and a population of 27,000 residents.
Fairwood Potential Annexation
In December 2007, Renton received a 10% petition initiating an annexation for the Red Mill area using the 60% method. The 60% petition was certified by King County in November 2008. In late 2008, petitioners submitted a petition to annex the Fairwood area to the City of Renton using the election method of annexation. This annexation area did not include the Red Mill area within the larger Fairwood area. The City Council accepted that petition to annex in early 2009. Following the November 2009 vote to not incorporate, the Renton City Council brought these two separate annexations together into one area by adopting a resolution calling for an annexation election for the entire Fairwood area. The election is set for voters to decide on November 2, 2010.
The City continues to analyze the operating and capital costs and revenues associated with the potential annexation of its remaining PAAs. The City Council recently reviewed an updated fiscal analysis of the potential annexation of Fairwood and West Hill. The Renton City Council's consideration of the Fairwood annexation petition acknowledges that the City faces significant fiscal challenges to provide services to Renton’s remaining large PAAs if annexed.
In 2008, the City and County agreed to work together to jointly fund and conduct resident surveys in its remaining large PAAs, with a purpose to better understand the governance preferences of residents and to understand the satisfaction with and importance of a range of public services. The hope is that the survey results will provide information beneficial for everyone involved in the process: residents, those with questions about annexation, and the Renton City Council as they consider the response to residents’ requests for annexation to Renton.
In order to provide residents with complete information about what their land use zoning would be if Fairwood annexed to the City, the City will pre-zone the area. The process will begin with a public hearing on August 25, 2010 at 6:00pm in City of Renton Council Conferencing Center. To view a map of the City of Renton zoning that is being proposed, click here. A second public hearing is scheduled for September 29, 2010, also at 6:00pm in the Council Chambers.
For additional information about annexation, please call 425.430.6575.