If you happened to miss this past Tuesday's meeting, here are a few of the highlights:

Mayor Penny Sweet proclaims May 13-May 17 as Affordable Housing Week in Kirkland. Affordable Housing Week is an annual initiative sponsored by the Housing Development Consortium to highlight the need for affordable housing in King County. Through education and
advocacy the Housing Development Consortium works collaboratively with public and private
organizations to meet the housing needs of limited-income people throughout the region. The Consortium is comprised of over 160 member organizations.

A number of events are being scheduled throughout the County during Affordable Housing
Week to heighten awareness about the need for more affordable housing. On the Eastside an
event titled “Affordable Housing 101: Why is it so dang hard?” will be held on Wednesday, May 15 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Holy Spirit Lutheran Church in Kirkland. Registration details and information about other scheduled events during the week can be found at the
Consortium’s website.

May 2019 has been officially declared “Bike Everywhere Month” in Kirkland!

Throughout the month of May, the City, in partnership with other regional organizations, will promote greater public awareness of bicycle operation and safety education. The goal is to reduce collisions, injuries, and fatalities, as well as to improve health and safety for everyone on the road. On May 17, 2019, the City will help our region celebrate Bike Everywhere Day by participating in the setup and staffing of “Celebration Stations” at Marina Park and the lid/park over SR-520 at Evergreen Point that morning between 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. We hope to see you out on your bike!

Council adopts Ordinance O-4684 an Ordinance of the City of Kirkland relating to firearms and weapons and restricting the discharge of firearms.

This Ordinance came out of last year's Town Hall on Gun Safety and Community Safety.

The City of Kirkland is committed to remaining a safe, welcoming and inclusive community. As part of this effort, the City supports safe and responsible gun ownership. RCW 9.41.300 authorizes cities to adopt ordinances restricting the discharge of firearms in areas of their jurisdictions where it is determined there is a reasonable likelihood that human, domestic animals or property will be jeopardized, provided such ordinances do not infringe on the constitutional right of individuals under Article I, Section 24 of the Washington Constitution to defend themselves and others. This ordinance does not apply to law enforcement officers in the performance of their official duties. 

Council adopts Amendments to Zoning Code and Zoning Map for Rose Hill Neighborhood

As part of the implementation of the Rose Hill Neighborhood Plan, the City Council has adopted Ordinance O-4683. The amendments bring the zoning map and zoning code regulations into compliance with the new policies in the Rose Hill Neighborhood Plan. The adopted changes will help support walkability and the 10-minute neighborhood concept. Additionally, the amendments will help support economic development in the neighborhood as well as encourage additional housing opportunities.   

Community members are invited to attend a “groundbreaking” ceremony on Wednesday, May 22 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the new City of Kirkland Parks Maintenance Facility located at 12006 120th Pl NE.

In 2018, the City of Kirkland purchased the property at 12006 120th Pl NE (formally Office Max) to renovate into a new parks maintenance facility for the Parks and Community Services Department. The purchase came after extensive evaluation to identify a location that would allow Parks Maintenance to best serve the community. Over the past several years the City has searched for a facility that could meet the service needs of the larger community created by the 2011 annexation of North Juanita, Finn Hill, and Kingsgate. Through annexation the City added 154 acres of parks and open spaces, including 132nd Square park, OO Denny, and Edith Moulton Park.

“The new parks maintenance center will allow staff to efficiently and effectively serve all of the City’s treasured parks and open spaces into the future,” said Mayor Penny Sweet. “The project is another important milestone in fulfilling the commitments the City made prior to annexation.”

Because the City is renovating the existing building, the ceremony on May 22 won’t be your traditional groundbreaking event--- think sledgehammers rather than gold shovels. Attendees will have the opportunity to see the plans for the renovations that will occur at the site, as well as learn about the day-to-day operations of the City’s Parks Maintenance crews. In addition to the “groundbreaking” ceremony, Mayor Penny Sweet and Parks and Community Services Director Lynn Zwaagstra will give a brief presentation on the history and benefits of the project. Refreshments will be available.

Parks Maintenance does not currently have sufficient space to locate all of the equipment and materials necessary to serve the 50 parks and 696 acres of land they are responsible for maintaining. The new maintenance center will be approximately 25,000 square feet and will be able to serve the department's needs much more effectively. The new location will allow the parks maintenance division to centrally locate equipment, materials, and supplies, thus increasing departmental efficiency by reducing trips and travel times. The new maintenance center will also enhance the current level of service throughout the city and will provide space for the Green Kirkland Partnership to continue to grow.

More information on the background of this project can be found on the City website.