“Serving on a board or commission is a great way to be involved in shaping the future of our city,” said Mayor Penny Sweet. “I’d encourage all residents to consider applying to serve on a board or commission that advises the City Council on a topic that is of importance to you.”

Kirkland residents are encouraged to apply to serve their community on a variety of boards and commissions that advise the City Council.

Adult and youth vacancies are currently available on a number of Kirkland advisory boards and commissions. Potential applicants should check the eligibility requirements for the board or commission that they’re interested in serving on.  Some incumbents on these boards and commissions have served one term and may apply for re-appointment as noted in the descriptions.  Completed applications must be received by the City Clerk prior to 4 p.m. on Thursday, February 14, 2019.  To learn more about each board and to obtain the community service application, go to the Current Recruitment Positions page, or call the City Clerk’s Office at 425-587-3190.

The City is working to minimize the impacts of the improvements occurring along 6th Street South, a multifaceted series of projects aimed at managing congestion, improving utilities and repaving the roadway.  

A project to manage 6th Street S traffic congestion includes the installation of a pair of four-way traffic signals scheduled to be complete in March 2019.  The City’s contractor, Johansen Construction has substantially completed the street and sub-surface improvements and will install the new traffic signal poles, mast-arms and signal heads in February at 6^th Street & Kirkland Way and 6^th Street South & 9^th Avenue S.

At the same time, City contractor Shoreline Construction is on schedule to complete the water main upgrade by the middle of February, which extends 2,200 linear feet along 6th Street South between N.E. 68^th Street and 5th Avenue South. Once that project is complete, Shoreline will immediately begin the six-week sewer main upgrade phase. The sewer main improvements extend 950 feet from N.E. 68th Street to the 800 block of 6^th Street South and utilizes a pipe-bursting technique, which is a trenchless method of replacing sewer line meant to reduce traffic impacts and lower material waste.  

The final project will result in the rehabilitation and repaving of 6th Street/6^th Street South, between NE 68^th Street, at the Everest and Houghton Neighborhood boundary and 4^th Avenue and 6^th Street in the Moss Bay Neighborhood, and will provide upgraded curb, gutter and sidewalk access ramps to assure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The road base repair and repaving phase of the project will begin in summer 2019 once the underground utility improvements are done and will be completed in the early fall.

The City understands that the deteriorated condition of 6th Street South’s surface creates a significant inconvenience for residents and commuters and City staff appreciate the community’s patience.

These projects are all part of a long-term effort to provide residents and businesses with continued access to clean drinking water and uninterrupted wastewater treatment, while also enhancing the City’s streets network.  

More information about the 6th Street Improvement project is available on the City website.    

A February 12 open house will offer the public an early look at how a five-lane 124th Avenue Northeast, between Northeast 116th and 124th streets, will better accommodate driving, walking and bicycling. The open house is scheduled for 5 to 7 p.m. at the Kirkland Justice Center in Totem Lake. An online open house is also currently underway. During the open house community members can view concepts for the corridor and provide feedback on them.

Kirkland’s staff and consulting engineers have, since January 2018, been re-designing the three-lane roadway into a five-lane roadway that features sidewalk-level bicycle lanes and wide sidewalks. The new 124th Avenue Northeast will also feature more accessible bus stops, and improved street lighting and landscaping. Kirkland’s staff expects to complete the design by the end of 2019 and to begin construction in 2021 once all right-of-way acquisition is completed and previously awarded construction funding becomes available.

The 124th Avenue Northeast road-widening is one of three projects City of Kirkland staff and consulting engineers are managing for the arterial’s corridor. Other projects include sidewalk improvements between Northeast 90th and 113th streets, which begins construction in February, and a project to add a left turn-lane for northbound drivers intending to turn west at the Northeast 116th Street intersection. It will be one of the first projects that Kirkland will use to begin defining the Totem Lake Circulator. The Circulator is the City’s plan to establish a walking, bicycling and transit-riding route that connects all four of the Totem Lake neighborhood’s quadrants. The Totem Lake Gateway project will also establish a portion of The Circulator at Totem Lake Boulevard by rebuilding the roadway and wide sidewalks.

Visit http://www.kirklandwa.gov/124thavenue or contact Senior Project Engineer Aparna Khanal, akhanal@kirklandwa.gov, (425) 587-3827 or Christian Knight, outreach, cknight@kirklandwa.gov, (425) 587-3831.