Kirkland City Council Special Meeting – 2044 Comprehensive Plan Amendments (December 10, 2024)

Mayor Kelli Curtis called the special meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. on December 10, 2024. All seven councilmembers were present: Deputy Mayor Jay Arnold, Councilmembers Neal Black, Amy Falcone, Jon Pascal, Penny Sweet, John Tymczyszyn, and Mayor Curtis. The sole business item was Ordinance O-4896, adopting the 2044 Comprehensive Plan (File No. CAM22-00023) under RCW 36.70a.130. Planning staff presented staff- and council-initiated amendments; no public comment period was held. Council adopted a series of amendments, then postponed final action on Ordinance O-4896 to the regular business meeting later that evening. The special meeting adjourned at 7:17 p.m.

Staff Presentation and Context

• Director of Planning and Building Adam Weinstein, Deputy Director Allison Zike, and Senior Planners Scott Guter, Janice Swenson, and Lindsay Levine presented the draft 2044 Comprehensive Plan.
• Staff said the plan had been reduced from an initial capacity of about 38,000 housing units to 23,000 housing units, and described it as a moderate plan focusing growth in urban growth centers, neighborhood centers, middle housing, and affordable housing.
• Staff summarized public feedback about Figure LU-3 appearing to label the Market Street Corridor and other commercial areas as neighborhood centers, about the residential mixed-use designation, and about language directing growth in and near neighborhood centers.

Discussion Items

• Figure LU-3: Councilmember Tymczyszyn moved to remove Figure LU-3, saying it was introduced too late to fully analyze. Councilmember Black said the map was intended to add clarity but had caused concern; Councilmember Pascal noted it had not been in public documents. Motion carried 7-0.
• Policy H-1.6: Staff had removed highlighted text on the grounds that public notice is already required by law. Councilmember Tymczyszyn moved to retain the highlighted text; Councilmember Pascal argued it would require more transparent notice of public benefits. Motion carried 7-0.
• Glossary – Livable Community: Councilmember Sweet moved the revised staff Option 1 definition, which describes a livable community as one allowing people of all ages, abilities, backgrounds, and incomes to thrive. Motion carried 7-0.
• Totem Lake Business District / Parmac: Councilmember Pascal proposed Policy 33.1 requiring a subarea plan before consideration of expanding Housing Incentive Area #4. Staff confirmed the Parmac property owner’s request included zoning changes that could allow up to 1,200 residential units and heights up to 150 feet on portions of the site. Pascal argued that allowing dense housing without transit, parks, access, or a plan would be ad hoc and displace small businesses; Deputy Mayor Arnold said commercial/industrial capacity should be preserved while studying mixed-use options. The combined motion was divided. Policy 33.1 passed 7-0; a motion to continue expanding Housing Incentive Area #4 failed 0-7; and a motion to require completion of the subarea plan before any expansion passed 7-0.
• New general policies: Council approved Policy GP-5.# (“Support and promote the livability of our neighborhoods.”) on a 5-2 vote; approved Policy GP-X (as amended) requiring additional planning and environmental review for zoning code amendments that could add residential or employment capacity; approved Policy GP-4.5 on two-way communication; and approved revised Policy ED 1.1* supporting retention and expansion of businesses and land capacity for commercial/industrial uses.
• Housing and land-use policies: Deputy Mayor Arnold’s Policy LU-4.4, focusing highest-intensity residential uses in and near urban growth centers and neighborhood centers while optimizing middle housing outside them, passed 7-0. Councilmember Falcone and Mayor Curtis worked to restore language about 10-minute neighborhoods. The LU-2.6 amendment inserting “and 10-minute neighborhoods” passed 4-3 after Falcone accepted a modification. For LU-3.2, Falcone proposed restoring language about neighborhood centers, commercial services, parks, schools, and quality transit; Councilmember Black successfully moved to replace that phrase with “10-minute neighborhoods” (5-2), and the amended LU-3.2 then passed 4-3. Council then removed Policies LU-3.3 and LU-3.4 by 5-2.
• Land Use Map Key: Councilmember Tymczyszyn moved to strike “Mixed Use” next to “Residential” in the draft map key. He said the change was supported by residents and the Fin Hill Neighborhood Association. Councilmember Sweet said the definition was unchanged and removing it would not change meaning; Councilmember Falcone favored keeping “Residential Mixed Use” for transparency. Deputy Mayor Arnold and Councilmember Pascal supported removal because the term had caused confusion. Motion carried 4-3.
• Other staff amendments: No objections were raised to staff-initiated amendments already reflected in the ordinance, including housing-element terminology edits, a parks and open space greenway amendment consistent with the Finn Hill Neighborhood Plan, and a public-services policy amendment recommended by the Lake Washington School District Coordinating Committee. Council also agreed to retain the existing 2015 shorter vision statement with minor edits.

Key Outcomes

• Motion to remove Figure LU-3 from the 2044 Comprehensive Plan: carried 7-0 (Tymczyszyn/Pascal).
• Motion to retain highlighted text in Policy H-1.6: carried 7-0 (Tymczyszyn/Pascal).
• Motion to approve revised glossary definition of “Livable Community” (staff Option 1): carried 7-0 (Sweet/Falcone).
• Motion to amend the Totem Lake Business District Plan to add Policy 33.1 requiring a subarea plan: carried 7-0 (Pascal/Black).
• Motion to continue expanding Housing Incentive Area #4: failed 0-7.
• Motion to require completion of the subarea plan before expansion of Housing Incentive Area #4: carried 7-0 (Pascal/Black).
• Motion to add Policy GP-5.# (“Support and promote the livability of our neighborhoods.”): carried 5-2; yes: Arnold, Curtis, Pascal, Sweet, Tymczyszyn; no: Black, Falcone.
• Motion to add Policy GP-X as amended (striking “or increased heights” and “additional”): carried 7-0. The amendment to strike those words also carried 7-0 (Falcone/Black).
• Motion to approve revised Policy ED 1.1*: carried 7-0 (Pascal/Falcone).
• Motion to add Policy GP-4.5 on two-way communication: carried 7-0 (Pascal/Falcone).
• Motion to approve Policy LU-4.4: carried 7-0 (Arnold/Pascal).
• Motion to amend Policy LU-2.6 to insert “and 10-minute neighborhoods”: carried 4-3; yes: Black, Curtis, Falcone, Sweet; no: Arnold, Pascal, Tymczyszyn.
• Motion to amend Policy LU-3.2 to strike the neighborhood-centers/commercial-services/transit phrase and insert “10-minute neighborhoods”: carried 5-2; yes: Arnold, Black, Curtis, Falcone, Sweet; no: Pascal, Tymczyszyn.
• Motion to approve amended Policy LU-3.2: carried 4-3; yes: Black, Curtis, Falcone, Sweet; no: Arnold, Pascal, Tymczyszyn.
• Motion to remove Policies LU-3.3 and LU-3.4: carried 5-2; yes: Arnold, Black, Curtis, Falcone, Sweet; no: Pascal, Tymczyszyn.
• Motion to strike “Mixed Use” next to “Residential” in the draft Land Use Map Key: carried 4-3; yes: Arnold, Black, Pascal, Tymczyszyn; no: Curtis, Falcone, Sweet.
• Motion to postpone adoption of Ordinance O-4896 until consideration of the 2044 Comprehensive Plan item 9.e at the regular meeting on December 10, 2024: carried 7-0 (Arnold/Pascal).
• No final vote on the adoption of Ordinance O-4896 was taken during the special meeting.