Renton Annexing Benson Hill Area
Well, it’s official. The Benson Hill area is going to annex to the city of Renton. According to the website bensonhill.com the vote was overwhelmingly in favor of annexation. No exact date has been set, although March 1, 2008 has been mentioned a couple of times. Now Benson Hill’s government and many of its services come under the umbrella of the City of Renton.
Newly annexed areas’ police and fire service responsibility would transfer from King County and Fire Protection Districts 40 and 37 to the City of Renton. Parks and streets would become a city responsibility and, over time, Renton would bring those areas up to the City’s level of service. One so-far unmentioned benefit is Renton resident rates for the Henry Moses Aquatic Park.
School districts will remain the same. The Renton Police Department would likely re-district its patrol district boundaries to be able to serve the Benson Hill Communities area. With a smaller service area than the King County Sheriff and a focus on local patrol services, Renton should be able to respond more quickly to high-priority calls.
You should be able to find updates on the official city of Renton web page.
Pursuant to state guidelines, Renton has hired a firm to conduct a door-to-door census of the area. If residents prefer not to provide information through contact at the door, they may also provide information through the mail, by phone (425-444-4936), or by email. For questions about the annexation or the City of Renton, you may contact city staff at 425-430-6575
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