KIRKLAND, Wash. -- Kirkland is waking up a much bigger city on the Eastside.
One of the biggest annexations King County has seen in a long time became official a minute after midnight Tuesday. The Finn Hill, North Juanita and Kingsgate neighborhoods are now part of Kirkland.
Kirkland Mayor Joan McBride said the annexation will bring lots of benefits. One of the examples from the city: Kirkland residents will see property taxes go down and the neighborhoods will see more law enforcement.
Kirkland council member Dave Asher said the city has been actively working on the annexation for a decade.
“It felt really super at midnight last night with neighbors and other council members and staff to be able to unveil the Welcome to Kirkland sign,” said Asher.
Kirkland planned to mark the occasion with a big celebration early Wednesday morning.
McBride said the city has done extensive research and is confident Kirkland can welcome 31,000 additional residents and 200 new businesses while providing essential city services.
One change will be law enforcement. On Tuesday, the King County Sheriff's Office patrolled the Finn Hill, North Juanita and Kingsgate neighborhoods. Now Kirkland police take over. That's why the department hired 24 new officers and still plans on adding 13 more.
“It wasn't they just moved up last night,” said Sgt. Robert Saloum, Kirkland Police Department. “They've been out here learning the streets, learning the addresses. We've been in touch with neighborhood groups to start building the relationships with the community."
The Kingsgate area, however, lost a nearby Woodvinville fire station. Residents there have concerns about what that will mean for service. Kirkland's mayor said the city has hired additional firefighters and they are working to make sure response times stay low.
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