Investigative work by the Kirkland Police Pro-Act Unit has led to the arrest of multiple suspects on February 4, 2021, related to several burglaries that occurred in January. In mid-January 2021, Kirkland Police Officers were dispatched to a residential burglary at a condominium complex located in the southern part of the city. Patrol Officers conducted a very thorough investigation and discovered that there were several break-ins; a residential unit, along with several storage units. Two vehicles were also stolen from a secured parking lot during these burglaries.

For more information, visit our newsroom. 

The City of Kirkland is seeking at least two non-law enforcement community representatives to serve on the Independent Force Investigation Team-King County (IFIT-KC).  Applications must be received by March 15, 2021. Applicants will participate in an interview with the Kirkland Chief of Police and Command personnel and selection will be made in collaboration with the City Manager’s office. The final list of available community representatives will serve for a term of two years, with yearly review and extension of assignment by the Chief of Police. This is an unpaid position.

To learn more about community representative responsibilities, selection criteria, the selection timeline, and how to apply, go to www.kirklandwa.gov/IFIT-KC.

Last week, hundreds of brightly colored flags appeared at two Kirkland parks as part of the City of Kirkland’s campaign to encourage dog owners to scoop and throw away dog waste. Visitors to Juanita Beach Park and Peter Kirk Park will notice bright yellow survey flags indicating where un-scooped dog poop was discovered during a four-week observation period in January and February.

Recently, City volunteers marked 96 instances of un-scooped poop in four weeks on the north side of Juanita Beach Park near the ballfields. Meanwhile, Park staff counted 136 cases at Peter Kirk Park in downtown Kirkland over a three-week period. 

Kirkland’s estimated 20,000 dogs generate almost 6,000 pounds of dog poop every day. Dog poop contains harmful bacteria and germs that can spread disease to other dogs and wildlife. When it rains, dog poop washes away to the nearest storm drain, stream, creek, or lake. The bacteria in dog poop can harm water quality and can make places to swim and play unsafe. Juanita Beach Park and Peter Kirk Park are two of Kirkland’s most heavily used park areas. Un-scooped pet waste can also spoil park experiences for children and families seeking to enjoy Kirkland’s playgrounds, ballfields, and open spaces.

“The easiest and most effective way to prevent the spread of disease and water pollution is to scoop the poop, bag it, and put it in the trash,” said Kirkland City Councilmember Jon Pascal. “The City provides education and resources such as poop bag dispensers and encourages compliance with the scoop law. We are asking community members to do their part and clean up after their pets.”

Residents and park visitors may remember a similar yellow flag campaign carried out in Fall of 2019. That campaign helped to reduce un-scooped pet waste by 80 percent in the six months following the outreach efforts. City staff hope a similar reduction will be achieved with this renewed effort.

City volunteers and staff will continue to monitor these areas to see if outreach efforts lead to a decrease in un-scooped dog waste in the two parks. Flags and signage were funded through a grant from the King Conservation District to help improve water quality.

For more information, visit www.kirklandwa.gov/petwaste. 

Reminder! As of Monday, March 1, paid parking at City-owned downtown parking lots and enforcement of parking time limits resumes. There are free 15-minute pickup stalls in the Lake and Central Street lot, and on-street parking including the 15-minute curbside pickup spaces remains free.

In-Car Dining by Shop Local Kirkland offers free parking for up to one hour in the seven designated In-Car Dining stalls located on the west side of Lakeshore Plaza. In-Car Dining has expanded to offer more restaurants, including several that offer delivery to these parking stalls so diners can enjoy family-friendly, safe dining with views of the lake. And be sure to check out www.ShopLocalKirkland.com to find and purchase the unique goods, gifts, food and services that Kirkland businesses offer, many with contactless pickup and delivery options.

Thank you for continuing to support Kirkland’s businesses!

As always, parking enforcement continues to be in effect for vehicles parked in designated disabled parking spaces without disabled permits, as well as vehicles illegally parked in front of fire hydrants or blocking driveways, crosswalks or bike lanes.

For more information about parking in downtown Kirkland, visit our Downtown Parking information webpage. 

Totem Lake Gateway

Kirkland’s Totem Lake Gateway contractor is closing one of Totem Lake Boulevard’s two northbound lanes between Northeast 124th Street and 120th Avenue Northeast.

Marshbank Construction will keep the curbside lane and the sidewalk closed from 7 a.m.to 4 p.m. until March 5.

After suspending work in November while it awaited the manufacture of handrails, Marshbank is now resuming work to install those handrails along the northeast side of the 11-foot sidewalk it built along Totem Lake Boulevard.

Visit www.kirklandwa.gov/totemlakegateway

Northeast 132nd Street

Drivers commuting along Northeast 132nd Street, between 100th and 97th avenues northeast should expect minor delays this week while Kirkland’s Fire Station 24 contractor installs a stormwater drainage line, as part of the Fire Station 24 construction.

Visit www.kirklandwa.gov/firestation24

Totem Lake

Both lanes of Willows Road Northeast will be open to traffic Feb. 26. Until then, Interwest Construction is allowing northbound traffic only, between  141st and 139th avenues northeast.

Kirkland’s contractor is building a multi-use trail along Willows Road that will help people who are riding bicycles or walking to connect to the Sammamish River Trail and the Redmond Central Connector.

Visit: https://www.kirklandwa.gov/WillowsConnection

Juanita

A City of Kirkland contractor will continue its closure of Northeast 116th Street’s center turn-lane through February while its crews upgrade a series of crosswalks near McAuliffe Park and A.G. Bell Elementary School. The center lane will be closed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each work day. Westwater Construction is also closing one of Northeast 116th Street’s lanes between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. However, the contractor will maintain two-way traffic flow.

This project improves pedestrian safety in the Juanita neighborhood with a total of four upgraded crosswalks along Northeast 116th Street, between 104th Avenue Northeast and 113th Place Northeast. These improvements will increase safety for those walking between destinations north of Northeast 116th Street, like McAuliffe Park, and destinations south of the Northeast 116th Street, like Alexander Graham Bell Elementary School.

Visit: https://www.kirklandwa.gov/116thCrosswalks

North Rose Hill/South Rose Hill

Drivers should expect construction this week on Northeast 75th Street and at 124th Avenue Northeast’s intersection with Northeast 112th Street while Kirkland’s Neighborhood Greenways contractor closes lanes to establish a variety of traffic-calming features.

Rodarte Construction is building a raised intersection at Northeast 75th Street’s intersection with 120th Avenue Northeast and rapid flashing beacons at Northeast 112th Street and 124th Avenue Northeast. Visit www.kirklandwa.gov/greenways