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Record of Proceedings

Kirkland Planning Commission Public Hearing on NE 85th Street Station Area Plan - June 9, 2022

Planning Commission — Thursday, June 9, 2022
BodyKirkland, Washington
SessionPlanning Commission
DateThursday, June 9, 2022
StatusFILED
Video Record
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0:01

Okay, thanks.

0:03

Okay, we're live.

0:05

Thank you.

0:06

Can you call roll, please?

0:08

Sure.

0:08

Katya Allen.

0:09

Oh, oh, yeah.

0:11

Sorry, just wait.

0:12

Just wait one moment.

0:13

I apologize.

0:14

Recording in progress.

0:17

Okay.

0:18

Katya Allen.

0:20

Yes.

0:21

Ria High sir.

0:22

Yeah, yes.

0:23

Scott Reiser.

0:25

Here.

0:25

Angela Rosman.

0:27

Here.

0:28

Rodney Retriford.

0:29

Sandeep single.

0:31

And John Tim Chison.

0:33

Here.

0:34

Thanks.

0:38

All right.

0:39

Um, so to start with, I am going to, well, now that we've called the order, this is just the public hearing for the 85th Street Station area plan.

0:50

So we're going to first, I'm going to read a statement from a planning commissioner who's not going to be here tonight.

0:58

And then staff is going to give a short presentation.

1:01

And then after that, we're going to move on to the public comment phase of this evening's meeting.

1:08

And you know, we are now a city of 90,000 people, and a lot of people are very invested in this project, rightfully so.

1:16

Um the station area plan is probably the single biggest thing that any of us are going to do during our years in Kirkland.

1:24

It's going to be a very long-lasting piece of Kirkland's future.

1:30

And so I know that there are a lot of people who are very interested in sharing their opinions tonight.

1:37

So for that reason, we are limiting our comments to three minutes.

1:42

And we are going to have people come on, not as panelists, but to speak as phone so that we can move quickly.

1:49

If you have a presentation or slides or something, we can promote you to panelists so that you can show your screen, but otherwise to keep everyone's time as reasonable as possible.

2:02

We're going to just stick to getting through comments as as they happen.

2:08

And any individual member has a three-minute limit period.

2:13

You cannot give your time to someone else.

2:18

I know that we've done that sometimes in the past.

2:20

Um, but because this is such a big topic that a lot of people want to comment on, in order to be fair to everyone in the city, we are limiting to three minutes per person.

2:32

And so to get started, I am going to read Rodney Rathaford's um comments as he is not here tonight.

2:41

So this is from Rodney.

2:43

I have chosen to recuse myself from the upstation area plan.

2:50

As a homeowner living within the plan station for almost 14 years and having served multiple terms as the chair of the South Rose Hill Bridal Trails Neighborhood Association, and having served in the core team that updated the Rose Hill Neighborhood Plan in 2018, I have remained committed to working with a broader community to cooperatively envision the future of a stage for that.

3:11

Since then, um informed that his employer Google is working on a development agreement in the city in the area that is under consideration by the commission tonight.

3:23

As such, I have chosen to recuse myself from the upcoming vote and deliberations on this phase of the stationary plan.

3:29

And again, that's from Rodney Rutherford.

3:32

So that is uh why he's not here tonight.

3:34

And with that, do any commissioners have any questions or comments before we pass this on to staff?

3:42

Madam Chair, I just wanted to record that I'm present.

3:45

I showed up about a minute late.

3:47

Thank you.

3:48

Okay, thank you.

3:52

Anyone else have any other comments or shall we pass this back for team up to the Chair Rosman?

4:00

I'd suggest you just officially open the public hearing.

4:05

Okay, yep.

4:07

With that, then um, we will officially open the public hearing and hear a short presentation from staff before we get to public.

4:17

All right, good evening, Chair Rosman.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Affordable Housing███████████████████████23%
Station Area Plan█████████████13%
Procedural████████████12%
Transportation██████████10%
Public Transportation██████████10%
Urban Planning████4%
Zoning Regulations████4%
Public Engagement████4%
Environmental Protection████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Kirkland Planning Commission Public Hearing on NE 85th Street Station Area Plan - June 9, 2022

On June 9, 2022, the Kirkland Planning Commission held a public hearing to receive testimony on the NE 85th Street Station Area Plan (File CAM20-00153), a comprehensive planning effort to guide growth near the future Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) station. The hearing included presentations from staff and consultants, followed by 31 public comments. The Commission voted to continue the hearing to June 14, 2022, for deliberation and a recommendation to City Council.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Bill Blanchard (Chair, Kirkland Alliance of Neighborhoods, speaking personally) requested a "no" vote to send a message to rethink the plan and engage citizens.
  • Laurie Hanson expressed concern over unrealistic transit mode share assumptions, inadequate infrastructure, and traffic impacts; urged voting no on Phase 1 rezoning and reducing building heights.
  • Kara Pietila feared unintended consequences without mitigations; requested a no vote on comprehensive plan amendments.
  • Curtis Reusser recommended a no vote due to unknown impacts on traffic, schools, noise, and affordability.
  • Ken MacKenzie highlighted projected student growth (936 new students) and lack of a school plan; requested rejection until a viable school plan exists.
  • Liz Hunt agreed with goals but found the plan incomplete, particularly the incentive zoning mechanism; concerned about affordability.
  • John Ellingsen (Costco Wholesale) thanked the city for considering Costco’s use and urged inclusion of the conforming use provision.
  • Mark Vossler (President, Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility) asked to center health impacts and require 100% electric space/water heating and cooking.
  • Leo (no last name given) said growth prices out current residents; recommended prioritizing existing residents.
  • Roshan Parikh cited immediate transportation impacts; recommended more study before approval.
  • Tanya Dimpsey expressed excitement and supported moving forward, noting that doing nothing does not solve traffic or affordability.
  • Curtis Brown (speaking for himself and neighbors on 119th) objected to elements forcing residents out; asked the Commission to listen to public feedback and send a clear message.
  • Lynda Myra voiced concerns about mobility claims and urged consideration of livability and small businesses.
  • Susan (no last name given) supported growth but opposed 250-foot heights; criticized assumptions about transit and school capacity.
  • Anthony (no last name given) hoped the plan moves forward, calling complaints outdated; supported more housing to reduce prices.
  • Dieta Hanson supported denser housing around 85th for walkability and affordability.
  • Sue Amorosi (bicyclist, walker, transit user) supported proactive density but urged careful design; recommended slowing down the timeline.
  • Danielle Jenkins supported the plan for walkability and suggested speeding it up.
  • David Allen recommended a yes vote, saying transit-oriented development reduces traffic and housing prices.
  • Aimee (no last name given) opposed the 250-foot height on Lee Johnson site; invited opposition to Saveyourneighborhood.com.
  • Marella Mylet spoke in favor, citing her child’s experience in Chicago and need for transit.
  • Nicole MacKenzie said many like the goals but not the execution; argued BRT will not induce transit use; infrastructure must come first.
  • Peter Lyon objected to scope and scale, especially 250-foot heights; recommended moderating the proposal.
  • Liepa Braciulyte supported the plan for walkability, affordability, and sustainability.
  • Brad Beckmann supported ambitious density to leverage BRT investment.
  • Cindy M opposed altering Kirkland’s character with 250-foot heights; concerned about traffic and unrealistic transit assumptions.
  • Eileen Forster questioned aligning with Google’s goals and power.
  • Carter Bagg raised school financing needs ($100 million) and form-based code concerns about heights and setbacks.
  • Jeanne Large recommended lowering the affordable housing definition below 50% AMI and requiring more than 10% affordable units.
  • Tod Johnson (Lee Johnson Auto Family) supported the plan, saying the city is on the right path; urged a yes vote.
  • Winn Richardson asked about next steps.

Discussion Items

Staff (Adam Weinstein, Allison Zike) and consultant Erin Ishizaki (Mithun) presented the station area plan framework, including the comprehensive plan amendments, form-based code, design guidelines, and incentive zoning program. The presentation emphasized that the plan implements existing city policies on sustainability, housing, and transportation, and that growth will occur regardless—with the plan adding bike/pedestrian improvements and capacity for schools.

Key Outcomes

  • The Planning Commission voted 5-1 (Tymczyszyn opposed) to continue the public hearing to Tuesday, June 14, 2022, at 8:00 PM for deliberation and a recommendation to City Council.
  • The Commission unanimously approved the minutes from January 27, February 10, and March 10, 2022.
  • The Commission discussed scheduling: a meeting on June 23 is scheduled for a public hearing on autonomous personal delivery devices; July 7 was suggested as a potential off date.
  • No final decision was made on the Station Area Plan; the recommendation will be forwarded to City Council after June 14.

Meeting Transcript

Okay, thanks. Okay, we're live. Thank you. Can you call roll, please? Sure. Katya Allen. Oh, oh, yeah. Sorry, just wait. Just wait one moment. I apologize. Recording in progress. Okay. Katya Allen. Yes. Ria High sir. Yeah, yes. Scott Reiser. Here. Angela Rosman. Here. Rodney Retriford. Sandeep single. And John Tim Chison. Here. Thanks. All right. Um, so to start with, I am going to, well, now that we've called the order, this is just the public hearing for the 85th Street Station area plan. So we're going to first, I'm going to read a statement from a planning commissioner who's not going to be here tonight. And then staff is going to give a short presentation. And then after that, we're going to move on to the public comment phase of this evening's meeting. And you know, we are now a city of 90,000 people, and a lot of people are very invested in this project, rightfully so. Um the station area plan is probably the single biggest thing that any of us are going to do during our years in Kirkland. It's going to be a very long-lasting piece of Kirkland's future. And so I know that there are a lot of people who are very interested in sharing their opinions tonight. So for that reason, we are limiting our comments to three minutes. And we are going to have people come on, not as panelists, but to speak as phone so that we can move quickly. If you have a presentation or slides or something, we can promote you to panelists so that you can show your screen, but otherwise to keep everyone's time as reasonable as possible. We're going to just stick to getting through comments as as they happen. And any individual member has a three-minute limit period. You cannot give your time to someone else. I know that we've done that sometimes in the past. Um, but because this is such a big topic that a lot of people want to comment on, in order to be fair to everyone in the city, we are limiting to three minutes per person. And so to get started, I am going to read Rodney Rathaford's um comments as he is not here tonight. So this is from Rodney. I have chosen to recuse myself from the upstation area plan. As a homeowner living within the plan station for almost 14 years and having served multiple terms as the chair of the South Rose Hill Bridal Trails Neighborhood Association, and having served in the core team that updated the Rose Hill Neighborhood Plan in 2018, I have remained committed to working with a broader community to cooperatively envision the future of a stage for that. Since then, um informed that his employer Google is working on a development agreement in the city in the area that is under consideration by the commission tonight. As such, I have chosen to recuse myself from the upcoming vote and deliberations on this phase of the stationary plan. And again, that's from Rodney Rutherford. So that is uh why he's not here tonight.

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