YAKIMA, Wash.- The Yakima City Council is considering the annexing a section of the Terrace Heights suburb and adding it to Yakima’s city limits. The idea came from three Terrace Heights business owners, but Terrace Heights residents argue against annexation.
The August 20 City Council meeting featured an informational session on the annexation and public comment on the proposal.
Four different maps have been drawn up if the city chooses to move forward with annexation. All four include Terrace Heights Drive to University Parkway and south to Highway 24. There are subtle differences in each of them, but all would incorporate the Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences, Yakima Sportsman State Park, and all residences in the area.
“The thing that stuck out to me is when you look at the map, everything is strategically drawn so that it includes things that create more taxes,” said Mark Young, a Terrace Heights resident who spoke against the annexation during public comment.
Young was one of nearly a dozen community members who spoke against the proposal during public comment. No public comment was made in favor of the annexation.
Concerns over the annexation included tax increases, city resources and emergency response times.
“Yakima can’t really take care of their own, but they want to get Terrace Heights involved,” says one public commenter, who added the homeless population would get worse in Terrace Heights with the annex.
Of the many homes in the proposed new city limits, Sun County Estates, a senior community next to Sportsman Park, brought up concerns over potential tax increases. An increase many of the residents may not be able to cover.
“We have 175 homes in our community with approximately 280 residents,” said Mark Doyle who lives in Sun Country. “Most of which are elderly residents that are on Social Security. We are concerned that some of our elderly residents may be forced out of their homes by the higher property taxes.”
Additional concerns were brought up over emergency response times. If the suburb is annexed into Yakima, the Yakima Police Department and the Yakima Fire Department would have jurisdiction of the area.
With stations further from the new suburb, response times would increase, according to East Valley Deputy Fire Chief Ray Lamoureux.
“Annexing this area of the city of Yakima, will result in longer response times,” explains Lamoureux. “Stations 91 and 95 have to cover a broader area and it’s potentially a compromise timeliness of the emergency services that residents receive.”
The Deputy Chief says the East Valley fire crews with jurisdiction over Terrace Heights currently are better trained and familiar to handle suburb and changing reigns could be a health and safety concern.
The council meeting was only an information session and public comment, with no votes taking place.
‘There is going to be no decision-making tonight about anything,” explains Yakima Mayor Patricia Byers. “Simply to receive information, for you to receive information, for the council to receive information.”
At the end of public comment, City Council asked staff to bring back date on what the changes in taxes and response times could look like. City Council will discuss annexation again in September.
Council members could then decide to move forward with the annexation, which would require 60% of property owners in the annexed area to sign off, or to stop the process, which would end the conversation.
