Kirkland Planning Commission and Houghton Community Council Joint Hearing on High Performance Building Standards – February 24, 2022

The Kirkland Planning Commission (PC) and Houghton Community Council (HCC) held a joint public hearing on Thursday, February 24, 2022, from 7:00 PM to 8:39 PM in the Council Chamber on File No. CAM22-00046, the proposed High Performance Buildings Standards Zoning Code Amendments, applied citywide. Staff presented the proposal, the public testified, and both bodies unanimously recommended approval to the Kirkland City Council. All voting members were present except Sandeep Singhal (PC) and Kristin Lovelady-Dickson (HCC).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Gina Clark, Master Builders Association (MBA), testified before the staff presentation and referred to written comments submitted that day. She thanked staff, stated MBA supports the proposed code amendments, and identified elements MBA would like amended. She noted an internal split among MBA members on building electrification and asked that any future expansion to single-family or broader housing types be revisited separately. On electric vehicle (EV) parking, she said the 100% EV-ready requirement might be too restrictive and overreaching, and she later clarified MBA is not asking to oppose the standards but would provide recommendations on percentage-based EV-ready spaces, conduit/wiring definitions, solar panel readiness, and drought-tolerant landscaping.
• Kevin Jones asked whether King County could address the proposal to purchase the La Quinta Inn for a homeless shelter in Houghton. PC Chair Angela Rozmyn stated that question was outside the board's purview and directed him to King County or the City Council.
• Sarah Richards, a Kirkland resident and member of People for Climate Action Kirkland's Steering Committee speaking as an individual, expressed support for the High Performance Building Standards Zoning Code Amendment. She said buildings represent 50% of Kirkland's greenhouse gas pollution and that the largest new developments should be 100% electric to reduce fossil fuel use, citing Washington's Climate Commitment Act and expected PSE grid decarbonization.

Staff Presentation and Discussion

• Senior Planner David Barnes presented the amendments. Deputy Planning Director Jeremy McMahan requested that the presentation occur before further public comment.
• Policy direction comes from the Sustainability Master Plan adopted in December 2020 and from Comprehensive Plan policies on incentivized high-performing, charger-ready buildings.
• The proposal would consolidate high performance building requirements into one zoning code chapter (115) and apply them to council-approved major developments seeking additional height, density, or other allowances, as well as to zones that already require green building standards. Staff clarified that the standards are not intended to apply to single-family homes or as-of-right smaller projects.
• Accepted certifications would include ILFI, Built Green, USGBC/LEED, or comparable programs. Additional performance standards include attaining maximum or bonus density, embodied carbon assessments, EV charger-ready parking (conduit and wiring rather than installed chargers), electrical outlets in bicycle storage areas, deconstruction and material diversion plans, at least 20% water use reduction beyond code, and all-electric buildings with a commercial cooking exception. The earlier net-zero energy requirement was replaced with an all-electric requirement to preserve flexibility for rooftop amenities and green roofs.
• Staff addressed the MBA/Built Green comment letter, including clarification of where the code applies, incentives to offset costs, electrification outreach, EV-ready requirements, solar flexibility, and the city's planned expedited green building program launching in spring 2022 with 50% faster review for certified buildings.

Deliberation

• HCC and PC members generally supported the amendments and discussed refinements. Commissioner Rodney Rutherford supported the conduit-only EV-ready definition and raised questions about e-bike outlet security, circuit capacity, outlet distance, and accessible parking for heavy e-bikes. Commissioner Katya Allen supported bike parking requirements for heavy/cargo bikes and suggested some percentage of EV spaces be more than conduit-ready. Commissioner Carter Bagg cautioned against setting low EV percentages because demand for chargers may grow rapidly.
• HCC Vice Chair John Kappler asked about guaranteed timelines, a single plan review pass, and not delaying the regular permit queue; staff clarified those are administrative aspects of the expedited program, not part of this zoning code amendment. Kappler also asked why equity language was included; staff said Built Green's new certification checklist includes equity and social justice prerequisites. One commissioner requested a clearer definition of equity in the code text.
• Commissioner Katya Allen noted a city document showing 1,755 residential units under construction with only 80 affordable units, below the 10% requirement, and asked how sustainability and affordability should be balanced. Commissioner Ruth Wright asked whether the standards were voluntary; staff confirmed they apply when large projects request approval beyond what code allows.

Key Outcomes

• The HCC voted 6-0 to recommend approval of the High Performance Buildings Standards Zoning Code Amendment as presented. The motion was made by Betsy Pringle and seconded by Larry Toedtli. Voting yes: Rick Whitney, John Kappler, Bill Goggins, Betsy Pringle, Larry Toedtli, and Ruth Wright.
• The PC voted 6-0 to recommend approval of the High Performance Buildings Standards Zoning Code Amendments as proposed by staff. The motion was made by Carter Bagg and seconded by John Tymczyszyn. Voting yes: Angela Rozmyn, Scott Reusser, John Tymczyszyn, Carter Bagg, Rodney Rutherford, and Katya Allen.
• The public hearing closed at 8:10 PM. No further comments from the audience were offered, and the meeting adjourned at 8:39 PM. Staff will take the joint recommendation and any drafting refinements to the Kirkland City Council.