Annexations
A Candid Interview with Tumwater Mayor Ralph Osgood
Question: The Urban Growth Area has been discussed a lot over the years, would you please briefly describe it?
Answer (Mayor Osgood): Sure. It’s the area into which the City is projected to expand within a 20-year time frame. The boundaries of the urban growth area were set in the early 1990s through a public process that involved the citizens of Tumwater and Thurston County, as well as the Tumwater City Council and the Thurston County Commissioners.
Q: I keep hearing about "county islands", what are they?
A: Simply put, it is an area of unincorporated property completely surrounded by the city. We actually have several county islands within Tumwater and we will be looking into annexing them when appropriate.
Q: Would my property zoning change upon annexation?
A: No, zoning does not change upon annexation. One of the nice things about growth management planning is that the urban growth area and county islands already have the City’s zoning adopted for those areas.
Q: Putting in street lights, sidewalks and other street improvements is very expensive. Will I be required to put these in upon annexation?
A: New development must meet the current city standards, but street improvements are not required to be installed by any existing home or business as a result of annexation. The City does have a wonderful sidewalk in-fill grant program for existing homes or businesses. The City will pay up to 80% of the cost of installation of sidewalks that are along major pedestrian corridors. This voluntary program has been very popular within the city.
Q: My well water is great and I have a fairly new septic system. Am I required to discontinue their use and hook up to city water and sewer?
A: I understand this is a huge issue and I have heard this one many times before, and the answer is no. However, if your water or septic system does fail, being part of the city may allow you to connect to the city water or sewer systems as necessary.
Q: My child is in 4-H and has several goats which are now the family pets. Will we be allowed to keep the goats if we are annexed into Tumwater?
A: You bet you can keep your goats. Your current allowed use does not change when annexed.
Q: We keep hearing that our property taxes will go way up if we are annexed, is that true?
A: Honestly, property taxes generally do sometimes increase slightly upon annexation. However, it is difficult to say exactly how your taxes would change due to the fact that Tumwater is surrounded by five different fire districts, each with a different property tax rate.
Q: Can I burn my tree limbs and yard debris if I am annexed?
A: Currently, out-of-doors burning is not allowed in the City or any of the urban growth areas or county islands. This took effect January 1, 2001, as set by the Olympic Air Pollution Control Authority.
Q: Thank you Mayor Osgood for clearing up many of the rumors and questions about annexing into the City of Tumwater. I know I will have more questions in the future, who would you suggest I contact for additional questions or issues about annexations?
A: I would suggest you contact Assistant Planner David Ginther in the Tumwater Planning and Facilities Department at (360) 754-4210. He is the one with the technical knowledge and will get you the correct answer in a hurry. It’s been a pleasure speaking with you.
Back to Annexations
Updated:
03/04/08
