The Kirkland City Council met on June 7, 2022, in a hybrid meeting. Here’s a brief overview of some of the items from the meeting:
Study Session – Draft Parks, Recreation, and Open Space (PROS) Plan Review: The Council received and discussed the draft Parks, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) Plan and provided feedback to staff and the City’s consultant for the PROS Plan. The PROS Plan is a six-year guide and strategic plan for managing and enhancing park and recreation services in Kirkland. It provides a vision for Kirkland’s park and recreation system and establishes a path forward for providing high-quality, community-driven parks, trails, open spaces, and recreational opportunities. Council feedback on the draft PROS Plan will be provided to the Park Board for their June 8, 2022 review of the plan. Following the Park Board meeting, the PROS Plan will be brought back to Council for review and potential adoption at the June 21, 2022 Council meeting.
Proposed 84th Avenue NE Speed Limit Change: The Council approved lowering the speed limit on 84th Avenue NE between NE 124th Street and NE 145th Street from 35 miles per hour to 30 miles per hour. This change is consistent with City policies and will support drivers in complying with school zone speeds, which will improve safety. At a prior meeting, the Council approved additional school zone safety cameras – anticipated to be operational by Fall 2022 – that are being installed along 84th Avenue NE from NE 126th Place to NE 141st Place in the combined school zones of Carl Sandburg Elementary, Finn Hill Middle School and Henry David Thoreau Elementary. Lowering the speed limit from 35 miles per hour to 30 miles per hour will make it easier on drivers needing to slow down to 20 miles per hour in the school zone.
Houghton Village Property - Future Use: The Council adopted a resolution that describes the Council’s objectives for the future use of the Houghton Village property and the community engagement process to achieve those objectives. The City purchased the Houghton Village Shopping Center, located at 10702 NE 68th Street in Kirkland, on May 27, 2022. The acquisition of this property at a competitive price in the heart of a walkable neighborhood near Terrace Park, Lakeview Elementary School, the Cross Kirkland Corridor, Metropolitan Market and the Google campuses with access to frequent transit service offers the City a unique opportunity to enhance the future of this neighborhood while meeting community priorities. The City will continue to lease the space to current occupants and will look to find tenants for the vacant spaces, focusing initially on community based-non-profits serving the Kirkland community. A Request for Proposals or solicitation of interest process with criteria will be developed to identify and select non-profits for the vacant space.
Draft Police Body Worn Camera Ordinance Discussion: The Council reviewed and provided comments on an initial draft City of Kirkland ordinance related to the implementation of an Officer Body Worn Camera (BWC) program. An updated ordinance will be brought to a future Council meeting for final review and adoption.
How to watch: Kirkland City Council meetings are streamed live and can be watched after the fact on the City of Kirkland Facebook page and the City YouTube channel, in addition to the livestream on the City website. Meetings are also televised on Comcast Cable Channel 21 and Ziply Cable Channel 31.
To watch the Council discussions on the specific agenda items outlined above, visit the City’s website. The full agenda packet with information on each item is located on the City’s website.
The next regular City Council meeting is on June 21, 2022.
Have questions about the WM contract changes taking effect July 1?
On June 14, join WM and the City for a virtual recycling center tour and an information session about updated waste collection services coming soon. You'll find out about new and updated services, hear about the current state of recycling, and see how your recycling is sorted. The event will include a recycling presentation, video tour of the Cascade Recycle Center, and Q&A session where attendees can ask questions about updated services and recycling.
Sign up for the event and learn about the new waste contract at kirklandwa.gov/wastecontract.
Public Hearing on the Station Area Plan: June 9
A new Bus Rapid Transit station is coming to Kirkland at I-405 and NE 85th St, and the City of Kirkland is developing a Station Area Plan to consider how to make the most of this regional investment and proactively plan for growth in this area over the next 20+ years. The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on June 9 to hear public testimony on Phase 1 of the Station Area Plan draft documents. Visit the project webpage for more information on providing comment during the public hearing.
What Should We Call the Station Area?
We have been referring to our plan as the “Station Area Plan,” but the City is interested in a different name that embodies the identified vision for the district. What do you think it should be called? Visit the quick online poll and let us know.
How can I contact the City with questions, requests, or suggestions?
You can always contact City staff through the Our Kirkland service portal, available on the web and mobile app. Submitting your comments through Our Kirkland ensures the right staff receives the information and is able to follow up with you.
Kirkland Police Department (KPD) will host a ‘Guns for Gift Cards’ exchange on Saturday, June 25, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. as part of KPD’s ongoing efforts to reduce gun violence and unwanted firearms in our community.
“Kirkland experienced six gun-related suicides since 2020. Encouraging community members to voluntarily relinquish ownership of unwanted guns is one step we can take to help reduce the likelihood of accidental injuries and suicides by firearms,” said Deputy Mayor Jay Arnold.
No registration is required. Proof of Kirkland residency, such as a utility bill, is required to participate. Police will not record any identifying information, and the exchange will be anonymous.
KPD’s Guns for Gift Cards exchange will occur at the Kirkland Justice Center (KJC), located at 11750 NE 118th Street in Kirkland. Please note there are security cameras at the KJC for public safety.
Participants are asked to bring unloaded guns they wish to trade in for useful gift cards and to follow these rules:
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Stay in your vehicle when you arrive at the KJC
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Gun(s) must be unloaded
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Gun(s) must be in the trunk or backseat of your vehicle, or otherwise out of reach
Depending on the type of gun(s) relinquished, participants may receive gift cards worth $25.00 to $250.00.
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To improve customer service and wait times, we’re offering a new dedicated local WM number at 425-587-0040. Please call this number for all of your waste collection service needs, such as changing your cart size, scheduling a curbside pickup of electronics and bulky items, requesting a replacement for a broken cart, and reporting missed pickups. Residents can also submit requests by email at pnwrsservices@wm.com.
For more information about Kirkland’s Solid Waste Program, visit the City website.
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The City of Kirkland is participating in a national exercise called “Cascadia Rising” – to prepare for the aftermath of a major earthquake on the Cascadia Fault – and we could use your help.
Our Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is looking for volunteers to help City staff practice their roles in such an emergency:
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On June 14, we need volunteers to drive through a mock supply distribution point in Totem Lake so staff can practice delivering supplies in a disaster.
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On June 16, we need actors to be shelter clients in need of assistance in north Juanita.
For helping out, volunteers will get their own FREE preparedness kit!
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Our spring weather has been finicky, but it’s finally become the beautiful Pacific Northwest that makes enduring nine months of gray skies all worth it. That means more people are outside - and in the water. Although it might be warming up outside, Lake Washington is still deceptively cold. Here are some water safety tips to help you and your family stay safe when you head to your favorite swimming spot in Kirkland this season.
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Don’t swim alone – bring a friend.
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Know your swim limitations and don’t follow friends past swimming boundaries.
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Don’t swim and drink. Alcohol can affect your body’s ability to maintain its core temperature and lead to hypothermia, faster.
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If you’ve had a drink and still want to swim, wear a life jacket. It’s hard for swimmers who wear life jackets properly to drown.
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Even if water surface temperature is 70 degrees, just 5 feet down, it might only be 50 degrees. If you start shivering, that’s an early sign of hypothermia, and it’s time to get out of the water.
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Pay close attention to kids near water at all times and don’t become distracted by your phone, even if there’s a lifeguard. It only takes a few moments for water to become dangerous for a little one.
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Only allow kids to swim or play in areas watched by lifeguards.
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Never leave a young child unattended near water and don’t trust a child’s life to another child. Teach kids to always ask permission to go near water.
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Designate a person in your group to be the ‘water watcher’ when kids are near water.
Calling Artists! The application window is open to submit your art for the Park Lane Outdoor Sculpture Gallery in Downtown Kirkland. The theme for submissions is The Art of Resilience, seeking works that connect, uplift and celebrate the human spirit and the power of community.
The Art of Resilience will feature selected artworks from between one and six artists. Artists will be paid $1,500 per selected sculpture. The works selected for this public art exhibition will be on loan to the City for a period of twelve months and are available for sale during this time.
This call is open to any artist. The Kirkland Cultural Arts Commission strongly encourages submissions from artists residing or working the Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and northern California).
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The Green Kirkland Partnership needs your help this summer with volunteer watering to nurture baby native plants in the natural forested areas of Kirkland’s parks. This is a great opportunity to spend time in the cool and serene forest while helping your local park.
Volunteers in this role commit to serving 1 -2 hours per week, during most weeks June through August on their own time and schedule. Volunteers aged 18 and over can serve solo, while volunteers aged 14-18 need to serve in teams (you bring your buddy). Volunteers under age 14 will need to serve alongside a parent/guardian.
Volunteer should be comfortable carrying water cans or hoses off-trail over uneven terrain to water baby trees in our forests. A brief orientation and service agreement are required for this fun summer volunteer role.
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108th Avenue Northeast – Central Houghton
The contractor Kirkland hired to renovate Central Houghton’s Fire Station 22 is closing the path that connects the Northeast 66th Place cul de sac to 108th Avenue Northeast. Allied Construction will maintain the path’s closure until July 2023, when it expects to complete the renovation.
Kirkland’s Neighborhood Safety Program contractor continues traffic control at Central Way’s intersection with Main Street this week, where its workers are installing a set of rapid flashing beacons.
Northeast 132nd Street – Juanita
Drivers will experience intermittent construction activities impacting travel at Northeast 132nd Street between 108th Avenue Northeast and 111th Avenue Northeast.
The City is building this right turn lane to increase vehicular capacity at the intersection to support effective functionality of the new Interstate 405’s Northeast 132nd Street interchange.
The 108th right turn lane project will end as the new right turn lane into Juanita High School gets underway this month.
Northeast 124th Street – Juanita
Night construction continues on 116th Avenue Northeast at Northeast 124th Street, where a Kirkland project to improve traffic flow at the intersection is in process.
Interwest Construction is working from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., Sunday through Thursday to create a new southbound right-turn lane from 116th Avenue Northeast onto Northeast 124th Street. They have encountered a number of underground conflicts that have showed some aspects of the project.
The contractor is also building a wide sidewalk with street trees and street lighting along the northwest side of 116th Avenue Northeast.
Northeast 132nd Street at I-405 – Juanita/Kingsgate
Drivers will encounter traffic control that will be in place into fall as the Washington State Department of Transportation’s (WSDOT) contractor begins the first phase of major construction, including the removal of trees in the project area.
Travel lanes on NE 132nd Street have shifted south, and left turns are prohibited except onto Totem Lake Boulevard for drivers traveling westbound and into Woodlake Apartments for drivers traveling eastbound.
WSDOT is building a new on-ramp for northbound Interstate 405 traffic and a new off-ramp for the interstate’s southbound traffic. The project will enhance sidewalks and bicycle lanes and will create roundabouts at the ramps’ Northeast 132nd Street intersection.
For questions about this traffic control or this project, call WSDOT’s project hotline at 425-224-2433.
Cross Kirkland Corridor – Totem Lake
Kirkland’s Totem Lake Connector contractor continues to detour Cross Kirkland Corridor traffic between 120th Place Northeast and 128th Lane Northeast while it builds the pedestrian and bicycle bridge.
Cross Kirkland Corridor – Everest/Moss Bay
Cross Kirkland Corridor travelers will continue to encounter a short detour around the trail between Seventh Avenue South and Sixth Street South as construction of the Feriton Spur Park expansion continues.
The short detour is directing travelers to a protected pathway along Fifth Place South. The park’s developer, SRM Development, expects the detour to continue until the park is completed. The concrete drivers’ strike is delaying completion of the park. During that time, SRM Development will continue to restrict parallel, on-street parking along the north portion of Fifth Place South.
SRM Development expects to open Feriton Spur Park to open to the public in 2022. The new park will extend the developed section of the Cross Kirkland Corridor to Sixth Street South with 14 improvements, including a pickleball court, urban farm and the corridor’s first bathroom.
Hiring Event at the Village at Totem Lake
Location: The Village at Totem Lake, 12600 120th Ave NE, 98034
It's an exciting summer of new business openings! The Village at Totem Lake's retailers and restaurants are seeking friendly, responsible and enthusiastic personalities to join their teams. A variety of full-time, part-time, and seasonal job opportunities are available. Come to the green near Cinemark dressed for success and ready to interview with copies of your resume in hand on Thursday, June 9th from 11am-2pm.
Date: Every Friday from June 3 to September 30
Location: Juanita Beach Park, 9703 NE Juanita Drive, Kirkland 98034
The City of Kirkland is excited to announce the start of the 16th season of the Juanita Friday Market. Come with your friends, or meet new ones, and enjoy shopping for delicious and nutritious foods, as well as fine wines and locally brewed craft beers. Then try one, or more, of our hot food vendors for a varied menu of offerings. We look forward to seeing you at Juanita Beach on these spring and summer Friday afternoons and evenings.
National Get Outdoors Day
Enjoy a visit to a State Park for free on June 11 in honor of National Get Outdoors Day. On State Parks Free Days, visitors are not required to display a Discover Pass which is normally required for vehicle access to state recreation lands.
Kirkland has two nearby state parks!
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Bridle Trails State Park is a 482-acre park and a favorite for its horse trails. Parking is located at 5300 116th Ave NE, Kirkland, WA. The park is open 6:30 a.m. to dusk.
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Saint Edward State Park is a 316-acre park along Lake Washington and was once a Catholic seminary. Parking is located at 14445 Juanita Dr NE, Kenmore, WA. The park is open 8 a.m. to dusk.
Washington State Parks offers 12 State Parks Free Days per year. More information about Free Days, including 2022 dates, can be found at Washington State Parks news.
Date: May 26 – October 2, 2022
Location: Park Lane, Downtown Kirkland
A local favorite, Evenings on Park Lane is back and will run through October 2, 2022. The west end of Park Lane between Lake Street and Main Street will be closed to vehicles nightly from 6 to 11 p.m and open to people walking and wheeling until the Park Lane restaurants close for the night.
What an enjoyable way to stroll downtown and shop local.
Stewardship Events with Green Kirkland Partnership
Join Green Kirkland Partnership and help our parks and natural areas thrive. Volunteers will help restore critical habitat by removing invasive plants such as blackberry or ivy, planting native plants, and pitching-in with stewardship tasks like mulching and weeding.
All experience levels and ages are welcome following the safety and event. Tools and training are provided. Events are 100% outdoors and occur rain or shine!
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