Lake Stevens is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States that surrounds the lake bearing the same name. It is southeast of Marysville, north of the city of Snohomish, and east of Everett. The population was 6,361 at the 2000 census. The population as of December 2009 is 24,860, with much of the growth due to annexation.
History
Lake Stevens was officially incorporated on November 29, 1960.
Believed to be named after Governor Isaac I. Stevens, Lake Stevens was first settled in 1886 on a 160-acre homestead along the east shore. By 1890 the first town in the area, "Ferry," was established. Its name was later changed to "Hartford," and it served as the main link from the famed Monte Cristo timber and mining resources to the world.
In 1905 a railroad spur was built by the Rucker Brothers Timber Company, linking Hartford with Lake Stevens. Two years later Rucker Mill was opened, located along and in the north cove of the lake (original pilings can still be seen in the old lake outflow area just south of the boat launch). In 1919, the mill, which became known as the "world's largest sawmill," burned and was partially rebuilt. When it burned a second time in 1925 the mill was dismantled and Lake Stevens lost the very industry which caused its founding. However, by then a flourishing town was established and continued under its own momentum.
From the 1920s to the 50's Lake Stevens was primarily a resort community, with many public and private resort beaches scattered around the shore. In 1960 Lake Stevens incorporated as a City with a population of 900. Soon, its popularity and natural beauty, combined with changing commuter habits, attracted more and more residents, changing its character to that of a suburban community. By 2000 the City had grown to a population of 6,361 in approximately 1.8 square miles. The lake remains the focal point of the greater Lake Stevens community for recreation and as "a symbol of our need to provide for a sustainable existence that will protect our natural environment".
Geography
Lake Stevens is located at 48°1′11″N 122°3′58″W / 48.01972°N 122.06611°W / 48.01972; -122.06611 (48.019782, -122.066089)[3].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 2.2 mi² (5.6 km²), all land.
Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 6,361 people, 2,139 households, and 1,683 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,951.8 people per square mile (1,142.3/km²). There were 2,234 housing units at an average density of 1,036.7/sq mi (401.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.31% White, 0.60% African American, 0.91% Native American, 1.10% Asian, 0.31% Pacific Islander, 0.90% from other races, and 3.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.55% of the population.
There were 2,139 households out of which 49.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.5% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.3% were non-families. 15.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.96 and the average family size was 3.30.
In the city the population was spread out with 33.9% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 36.3% from 25 to 44, 17.6% from 45 to 64, and 5.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 101.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $65,231, and the median income for a family was $68,250. Males had a median income of $51,536 versus $30,239 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,943. About 3.8% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.9% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.
City Government
Mayor and Council
Lake Stevens government operates under the mayor-council system. The mayor serves as the executive of the city, whereas the council serves as the legislative body of the city.
Voters elect a mayor and seven councilmembers to serve, each to four-year terms. All positions are non-partisan. Elections are staggered, meaning that not all positions are up for election in the same year. Elections for the Mayor and Positions 3, 4, and 5 are held in the same year (next cycle is 2011), whereas elections for Positions 1, 2, 6, and 7 are held two years after (2013, respectively).
In instances of vacation of a seat, the city council has the authority to fill the seat, including that of the Mayor. This most recently occurred in November 2009, when Position 1 became vacant in the final two months of that term, and was subsequently filled by the current office holder (who won that seat in the November 2009 election for the current term). Elections for appointed positions may be held for the unexpired portion of the term outside that position's normal election cycle. This occurred in the 2007 election cycle for Position #6.
The table shown below details the make up of Council since 1996:
| Served |
Mayor |
Position 1 |
Position 2 |
Position 3 |
Position 4 |
Position 5 |
Position 6 |
Position 7 |
| 1996 |
Jay Echols |
|
Neal DooleyA - 1991 |
Larry Wagner |
Genevieve Moore |
Lynn Walty |
|
Glenn McLoughlin |
| 1997 |
| 1998 |
Jack Blackwell |
Richard Maddalena |
| 1999 |
| 2000 |
Lynn WaltyD |
Rich EstepB |
Dan ReichenbergD |
| 2001 |
| 2002 |
Larry WagnerD |
| 2003 |
| 2004 |
Steve BrooksD |
Karen AlessiB |
Vern LittleB |
| 2005 |
| 2006 |
Walty / LittleA-Nov. |
Heather ColemanB |
Arnie ClarkE |
Tom HartwellB |
| 2007 |
Vern Little |
Suzanne QuigleyA-Jan. |
Clark / HolderA-Feb. |
| 2008 |
John SpencerC |
Mark SomersB |
Kathy Holder |
| 2009 |
Coleman / DaughtryA-Nov. |
| 2010 |
Kim DaughtryD |
Marcus TageantD |
| 2011 |
| 2012 |
|
|
|
|
| 2013 |
- TABLE KEY:
- A - Originally appointed to vacant seat (with month noted).
- B - Defeated incumbent in general election to win seat.
- C - Incumbent lost in primary. Defeated other candidate to win seat.
- D - Incumbent did not run for re-election. Defeated other candidate to win seat.
- E - Ran unopposed to win seat.
- Source: Snohomish County Elections
Non-elected Positions
Prominent (non-elected) positions for the city include: City Administrator, City Clerk, Police Chief, Planning Director, Public Works Director, and Community Programs Planner.
Boards and Commissions
The city has several boards and commissions whose role is to advise the Council on a variety of issues specific to that board or commission. Members of each board or commission are volunteers from the community, either as residents or property owners from within the Urban Growth Area. They are appointed by the Mayor with Council approval. The exception is with the Civil Service Commission, which all members, who must reside inside the city limits, are appointed by the Mayor exclusively. These boards and commissions include:
- Arts Commission
- Civil Service Commission
- Design Review Board (made up of members of the Planning Commission)
- Library Board
- Parks Board
- Planning Commission
- Zoning Board (made up of City Council members)
More Information:
Annexation and the Unincorporated “Urban Growth Area"
Since 2005, the population of the City of Lake Stevens has more than tripled from around 7,400 to approximately 25,000 currently. This has been primarily due to an effort called "One Community Around the Lake" to bring the unincorporated areas within the Urban Growth Area into the city limits. The table shown below details recent annexation efforts by the community:
| Area Annexed |
Method |
Month & Year |
Ordinance |
Acres / Square Miles |
Population |
New City Population |
| Northlake |
Direct Petition |
January 2006 |
719 |
855 / 1.34 |
2,300 |
9,700 |
| Frontier Village |
Direct Petition |
December 2006 |
729 |
708 / 1.11 |
3,600 |
13,300 |
| Soper Hill |
Direct Petition |
May 2007 |
742 |
292 / 0.46 |
1,200 |
14,500 |
| Southwest |
Election (56.38% FOR) |
December 2009 |
801 |
2,374 / 3.71 |
10,060 (est.) |
24,860 (est.) |
Additionally, two small annexations have taken place during this time. The Fire District Annexation, the 1.02 acre Station 82 property on the southwest corner of Chapel Hill Road and 99th Ave NE, occurred in October 2007 (Ordinance 745), and the Corniche Annexation, the 2.91 acre commercially-zoned vacant parcel on the southwest corner of Market Place and 91st Ave NE, occurred in March 2008 (Ordinance 768). Neither added to the city's population.
School District
Lake Stevens consists of two high schools (Lake Stevens High School and PROVE alternative school), one mid-high school (Cavelero), two middle schools (Lake Stevens and North Lake) six elementary schools (Mt. Pilchuck, Sunnycrest, Hillcrest, Glenwood, Skyline, and Highland).
The Lake Stevens Journal is the community newspaper and is circulated weekly.
Parks
Highlighted by the lake itself, Lake Stevens is home to numerous parks, including:
- City Beach
- City Boat Launch
- Kid’s Oasis Playground
- North Cove Park
- Catherine Creek Park
- Sunset Park
- Lundeen Park
- Wyatt Park (Davies Beach)
- Eagle Ridge Park
Primary Athletic Fields
- Bond Field
- Bonneville Field
- Hartford Field
- Lochsloy Fields
References
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
External links
