ISA Rose Hill Annexation

INTERLAKE SPORTING ASSOCIATION

This is the official web site for the closest 200yd rifle, pistol, archery and paintball range,
mixed-use sporting facility and nature preserve to Seattle and Bellevue

ROSE HILL ANNEXATION

NEWS - NEWS - NEWS!!!

Redmond and the developers are at it again! There was a 'special' Council meeting on Tuesday, 8 July 03. After one week notice, with no public discussion, the City Council took less than 5 minutes to approve use of the 'new' annexation process. This particular annexation effort DOES NOT include Interlake, but DOES threaten us and the neighborhood. Please coordinate with our community members or ISA Board members to show your support. This ongoing situation requires EMERGENCY ACTION BY ALL ISA MEMBERS, and we do need and expect you to volunteer. don't wait; come to the very next meeting.

Here's a link to the only info about this on the Redmond website; http://www.ci.redmond.wa.us/insidecityhall/citycouncil/pdfs/specialmeeting.pdf

As can be seen, the issue of loosing Rose Hill, the Interlake Range, and all that being in the County offers us, is alive again. Like Godzilla, the city keeps coming back, regardless of the defensive efforts of the concerned folks about to be swept away. Despite the State Supreme Court ruling against the 'Petition Method' of annexation, that's what they're using, knowing that we don't have as many lawyers or as much money as they do, to sue them in our defense. Pity that the only value they seem to see in the public funds they spend so lavishly on this unethical and possibly illegal land-grab is their own interest. Please get involved, attend the meetings and make your interest known.

As of fall 2002, this was the status;

Here's the situation, folks; the City of Redmond has been after the entire Rose Hill area, and our land, for decades. We sacrificed ourselves to block the annexation method they had been trying, until the State Supreme Court found it to be illegal early this year. On the same evening when the Redmond City attorney informed the Council that their past efforts were dead in the water, they formally committed to putting the annexation to a popular vote ASAP. They chose the Primary Election on 17 September 2002 as the date. This date was selected to minimize the number of voters present, and to reduce our time to mount an opposition.

The vote was held, and we won by a small margin. At the very next City Council meeting the local agitators publicly thanked the mayor and council members and promised to continue trying to have it absorbed by the City of Redmond. The mayor thanked them for their help and suggested that they would do it again in a year, or sooner. The moral of the story? Prepare now, as we will face the same threat very soon, again.

Here is what we wrote and published to the neighborhood;

The annexation of Rose Hill will kill the neighborhood, force most of the landowners to subdivide or move, and likely force us to close. Read that line again! Redmond is trying to kill us on 17 September, 2002.

There is only one way to survive. We must block this effort to annex the area and to kill us.

The first task is to get local voters registered to vote BEFORE 30 August; that's the deadline to vote on 17 Sept.

A group has been formed to address this and to try to save us all. We need your active help; 'deeds not words'. If you are willing to help us, we need you to contact us through the club and let us know how to contact you. We have many different tasks to perform, so all types of assistance are needed. Please check back here often for updates on the details and what we've done.

IT'S NOW OR NEVER. If you EVER want to help the club and the neighborhood, this is the time. If we loose the vote on the 17th, all will have been wasted. Don't wait; contact us and volunteer, today.

Here's what has already been written on the subject..............

Dear Rose Hill neighbors,

Please vote NO on the proposed Redmond annexation! Keep our taxes from increasing, our housing from becoming less affordable & preserve our beautiful, quiet neighborhood by staying in King County.

Redmond, at the urging of developers, has planned to annex this area for years, and they’re at it again.

Other annexations have resulted in higher costs for residents and a loss of control over their own land use.

Your utility bills will be higher as Redmond will attach taxes to your garbage, phone and other monthly bills.

Services will decline; Fire, medical response & Police are more accessible today than if annexed.

Our neighborhood will become more crowded. Redmond has plans to extend 100^th street & others, changing our quiet, rural area with wildlife & slow traffic into one of high-density housing, complete with more traffic congestion & noise.

Redmond will force you to pay many thousands in unnecessary fees to connect to the METRO sewer system, which you can do without being annexed.

Higher taxes, more congestion and slower police & fire response are only some of the very sound reasons to oppose annexation.

Maintain your lifestyle! VOTE NO on annexation, September 17!

The only way to avoid immediate annexation is to VOTE NO! on Sept 17. YOU WILL NOT HAVE A SECOND CHANCE. Only developers & politicians benefit. For us, it will mean loss of control over our land, and greatly increased taxes & fees. We can’t afford them! 100^th & 104^th will become another noisier, busier 85^th. County gov’t is more responsive with choice of services. Keep control of your lifestyle & future. Vote NO!

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