Starting on Wednesday, July 29, the City of Kirkland will be closing the parking lot and pier at Houghton Beach Park and the pier at David Brink Park.  These closures are to help address the frequent large gatherings that have been occurring at these locations in violation of state health directives.

City staff will be onsite early in the morning on Wednesday, July 29, to lock the parking lot and place fencing on the piers. Implementing these closures became necessary to address large gatherings, illicit activities and continued non-compliance with the Governor’s mask mandate and group limits at these locations. According to Governor Inslee’s Safe Start plan, group sizes are currently limited to five people and face coverings are required in public spaces.

“We tried to avoid these closures through education efforts, mask distribution, signage, physical barriers and numerous warnings that closures would happen if these areas remained crowded,” said Parks and Community Services Director Lynn Zwaagstra. “We feel that these targeted closures are an unfortunate, but necessary measure to protect public safety during this pandemic.”

These are details of the closures: 

• Houghton Beach Park, 5811 Lake Washington Blvd. Parking lot will be locked and access to the dock will be blocked.
• David Brink Park, 555 Lake Street South. Access to the dock will be blocked.

“We urge all residents and visitors to comply with the Governor’s directives,” said Zwaagstra. “If these steps are not effective, the City will have no option but to close all waterfront parks completely. This will penalize all those who are following the rules and we want to avoid that if possible.” 

Previous actions taking by the City of Kirkland since April include:

• Installation of hundreds of signs providing public health information and directives
• Closure of park playgrounds and sports courts that attract groups larger than the current limit
• Cordoning off sports courts and playgrounds with caution tape and now with orange safety fencing
• Locking gates to sports courts with existing fencing
• Netting for volleyball and basketball courts removed
• Chain link fencing locked together and installed in volleyball courts to block use
• Implemented park ambassadors and beach ambassadors to educate patrons and distribute masks at City parks and beaches
• Provided additional police presence in parks during the evenings and on weekends when feasible
• Opened Lee Johnson field from 6 to 11 p.m. daily for games and activities to attract folks to the very large open space
• Closed waterfront parks at 9 p.m.
• Public outreach campaigns with press releases, social media and educational videos

More information on how our Kirkland Parks and Community Services Department is responding to COVID-19 is available at www.kirklandwa.gov/playitsafe.

Lee Johnson Field will open for evening activities, waterfront parks, docks and piers will close daily at 9 p.m.

Starting on Monday, July 27, the City of Kirkland will be opening Lee Johnson Field for evening activities and closing waterfront parks, docks and piers at 9 p.m.

In response to community concerns about COVID-19, the City will close all docks and piers, with the exception of Marina Park moorage piers, daily at 9 p.m. The moorage piers will be accessible for boat access only.

To allow space for young people to safely engage in evening socializing, Lee Johnson Field at Peter Kirk Park will be opened from 6 to 11 p.m. daily for games and activities. The field lights will be turned on at dusk and will turn off at 11 p.m. Games will not be provided, but community members are encouraged to bring yard games like cornhole, bocce ball, ladder golf, spike ball, or giant Jenga to play. Placing stakes into the field will not be allowed. All community members are welcome, however, the current Washington State guidelines must be followed:

• Group size is limited to 5 people or less
• Social distance of 6 feet is required if not from the same household
• Face coverings must be worn at all times

“It is our hope that this beautiful green open space normally reserved for sports will now provide a healthy and safe alternative to the large group gatherings that we are seeing at the beaches,” said Councilmember Jon Pascal.

More information on how our Kirkland Parks and Community Services Department is responding to COVID-19 is available at www.kirklandwa.gov/playitsafe.

The Kirkland City Council’s next “virtual” meeting takes place Tuesday, August 4. The meeting uses video conferencing technology provided by Zoom in response to Gov. Jay Inslee’s order. The regular business meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. and is preceded by a 5:30 p.m. study session.

The agenda for the August 4 meeting will be available on the City website prior to the meeting at: Kirkland City Council agendas. The meeting can be viewed in real time via the live stream on the City website at: http://www.kirklandwa.gov/depart/council/Meetings/WatchCouncilMeetings.htm and is televised on Comcast Cable Channel 21 and Ziply Cable Channel 31.

Here are a few highlights from the upcoming meeting:

Study Session:

The Study Session begins at 5:30 p.m. and includes a briefing on the City's Safer Routes to School Action Plans.

Business Meeting:

Resolution 5434 - Draft Safe, Welcoming and Inclusive Framework

The City Council will be discussing and is anticipated to adopt the revised Resolution R-5434, affirming that Black lives matter and establishing a framework to becoming a safe, inclusive and welcoming community. The revised resolution incorporates amendments made by the Council during the July 21 Council meeting discussion. The Council will also be reviewing funding recommendations for the items outlined in the resolution. To provide comment to the Council on the resolution, please see the options for Public Participation below.

Sustainability Master Plan Review

The City Council will review the draft Sustainability Master Plan and provide high-level feedback to staff on the overall content and format of the plan, in advance of adopting a final version at a future Council meeting.

Background: In January 2019, the City embarked on the development of a Sustainability Master Plan, which is included in the 2019-2020 City Work Program and is intended to identify best practices that allow Kirkland’s many sustainability strategies to be implemented and measured, along with new actions needed to achieve a livable and sustainable community. More information on this project is available on the City website.

Low Clearance Bridge (CKC Bridge) at Kirkland Way

The Council will consider and discuss an enhanced signage plan along Kirkland Way to help provide a more robust alert system to over-height vehicle drivers as they approach the Kirkland Way Bridge. Staff recommends installing 14 new low-clearance warning signs – seven in each direction – along Kirkland Way. The proposed signs are larger than the existing warning signs and would be positioned on both the left and right sides of the road.

Background: The CKC Bridge, also known as the “truck eating bridge” is a former railroad bridge crossing over Kirkland Way that has been converted to a multi-use path.  The vertical clearance is 11.5 feet, which is lower than current minimum bridge standards of 14 to 16 feet.  The bridge was installed many decades ago by a predecessor to the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad.  Over the 14 years since 2006, the bridge has been hit by vehicles an average of four times per year.  However, it has been hit more frequently during the past four years, and in 2019 it was hit 10 times.  The City has been experiencing an increasing number of occurrences.

Public Participation

As always, the Kirkland City Council welcomes public involvement at its meetings and would like to encourage community members to take advantage of its available options for remote participation. Community members are welcome to attend the meeting via Zoom. Instructions to participate via Zoom will be provided on the City Council webpage prior to the meeting.

Comments can be provided through Zoom, voicemail at: 425-587-3090, and email at: councilmeetingcomment@kirklandwa.gov. Voicemail and email comments must be provided by 3 p.m. on Tuesday, August 4.

For issues that are not quasi-judicial or set for a public hearing:

Three minutes per comment, no more than three speakers per side of an issue.

The City Manager will no longer read emails received by the City Councilmembers during the Council meeting. Emails that are submitted will be provided to, and read, by the City Council.

Speakers will be prioritized in this order: (1) ZOOM video; (2) ZOOM audio; (3) voicemail messages left with the City by 3 p.m. on August 4; and (4) emails with attachments that include audio or video that can be displayed.

For more information about the Kirkland City Council, please visit the Council webpage.

108th Avenue Northeast

Kirkland’s contractor is closing on July 27 a three-block section of 108th Avenue Northeast for two weeks while its crews install the new sewer main. Marshbank Construction will close the arterial between Northeast 52nd and 55th streets from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., starting Monday. In the afternoon, the contractor will close the center turn-lane from 4 p.m. to 7 a.m.  Marshbank will provide access for local traffic between Northeast 55th and 60th streets. 

The detour will route commuters along Northeast 68th Street, Lakeview Drive and Northeast 38th Place.

Marshbank Construction is replacing the two systems—both more than five decades old—to increase their capacities to serve Kirkland’s growing population and to reduce the systems’ needs for maintenance.

That need is most urgent in the sewer line, which runs from Northeast 68th Street to Northeast 53rd Street. Settling soil has created a sag in the sewer line, allowing sewage to accumulate there and requiring maintenance crews to periodically flush the line.

The contractor is also replacing the water main between Northeast 68th and 60th streets.

Marshbank expects to complete the upgrades by spring of 2021. 

Visit: www.kirklandwa.gov/108thavewatersewer

100th Avenue Northeast Closure

A short section of 100th Avenue Northeast, just south of its intersection with Simonds Road, remains closed until Aug. 13.

The all-day, all-night closure allows Kirkland’s contractor to replace the three-decade-old Cedar Creek culvert with a new 10-foot-wide, by eight-foot-tall concrete box culvert.

The new culvert will open nearly a mile of upstream habitat to trout, Coho and other salmon. It will also provide enough space for the 100th Avenue Northeast Roadway Improvement Project.

This future project will add two more automotive lanes, sidewalks and sidewalk-level bicycle lanes on both sides of the street between Northeast 139th and 145th streets.

The City is strongly encouraging commuters to use the official detour route—Northeast 145th Street, Juanita-Woodinville Road—while 100th Avenue Northeast is closed. To ensure drivers don’t speed through Juanita’s neighborhoods, the Kirkland Police Department is patrolling the neighborhood roads that connect 100th Avenue Northeast to Juanita-Woodinville Road.

Kirkland is promoting the detour route on the electronic reader boards, in the project flyer and on a pair of community signs its staff installed at the project’s limits. Additionally, Kirkland’s staff members will monitor the area during the closure, and if patrol emphasis is warranted, they will coordinate with the police department.

Visit: www.kirklandwa.gov/100thavedesign