Kirkland Planning Commission Study Session – April 27, 2023
Kirkland Planning Commission Study Session – April 27, 2023
The Kirkland Planning Commission held a study session on April 27, 2023, beginning at 7:00 PM and adjourning at 9:56 PM. The meeting covered three major topics: a special presentation by Juanita High School students on affordable housing, a briefing on the city’s new Pre-Approved DADU program, and an extended discussion of affordable housing requirements for the Station Area Plan. Commissioners also considered a minor code amendment regarding elevator overruns.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Kim Faust, Senior Vice President of Development at MainStreet Property Group, testified on behalf of her firm, which owns a parcel in the Station Area Plan. She presented pro forma analyses showing that under the current staff recommendation (15% of units at 50% AMI with 8-year MFTE), development would not be viable. Her analysis indicated that a requirement of 10% at 50% AMI or 20% at 80% AMI could work, and she encouraged the Commission to consider phasing the requirements or providing other incentives. She also critiqued the consultant model for assuming parking reductions that she considered unrealistic.
Discussion Items
- Juanita HS Affordable Housing Presentation (7:00 PM – 7:17 PM): Four students from Juanita High School’s civics class presented their research and recommendations. They reported that a survey showed “overwhelming numbers” of students believe affordable housing should be Kirkland’s top priority. They advocated for increased multifamily housing outside downtown, using new zoning from HB 1110, and recommended that 20% of all new units be designated affordable for low-to-moderate income households. They also called for better public resources to navigate housing assistance programs. Commissioners praised the students and asked questions about feasibility; Commissioner Rozmyn noted that such voices are critical in shaping policy.
- Pre-Approved DADU Program Briefing (7:18 PM – ~7:51 PM): Senior Planner Scott Guter presented the program, launched in March 2023, which offers pre-approved ADU designs for $1,000 and a two-week expedited permit review. ADU applications in Kirkland have risen sharply, with 2023 data showing a large gap between applied (approx. 50) and issued permits. Commissioners expressed enthusiasm, noting the program’s potential to speed up housing production. Questions centered on resources, flexibility of designs, and cost. Staff indicated they would track performance and report back.
- Station Area Plan Affordable Housing Requirements (8:17 PM – 9:52 PM): This was the main study session item. Deputy Director Allison Zike recapped the process and staff recommendation (15% of units at 50% AMI with 8-year MFTE). ARCH staff (Lindsey Masters, Mike Stanger) and consultants (Matt Farris of BAE, Rick Jacobus of Street Level Advisors) presented their financial feasibility analysis. Matt Farris’s model showed that even with the upzone and parking reductions, development today is challenged under all scenarios, but the specific plan improved feasibility relative to the baseline. Rick Jacobus warned against setting requirements based on today’s weak market, advocating for a level that works across a cycle. Commissioners raised several concerns and creative ideas: a phased approach to affordability levels, exploring middle AMI targets (e.g., 65%), examining parking reduction assumptions, and considering a catalyst provision for early projects. The Commission requested additional case studies, revenue projections from the station area, time to review a late-arriving developer letter, and more analysis of innovative options.
- Miscellaneous Code Amendment – Elevator Overruns (brief discussion at end): Staff introduced a potential amendment to allow elevator overruns up to 30 feet above maximum building height for tall buildings (over 8-9 stories), replacing the current 15-foot allowance that requires modifications. Commissioners generally supported the idea, with a caution to ensure architectural integration. Staff will draft code for a future public hearing.
Key Outcomes
- The Commission decided to continue the Station Area Affordable Housing study session at a later date, allowing time to gather requested information (case studies, revenue projections, stakeholder input, and analysis of creative alternatives). No formal vote was taken.
- The Commission will hold a public hearing on wireless code amendments on May 11, 2023.
- The next meeting on May 25, 2023, will include a briefing on the Park Lane study and a report on comprehensive plan outreach.
- City Council adopted the Miscellaneous Code Amendments (approved by Planning Commission) on April 18, 2023.
Meeting Transcript
Angela Rosman here, Rodney Rutherford. And John Tim Chishon. Here. And Deep Single. Absolutely. All right. So tonight we have the station area plan affordable housing study session, a uh Daddy program briefing, and the Winata High School affordable housing presentation. So that all of you do not need to wait through our entire meeting. Um, we are going to switch the agenda so you all can go first. Um, can we do public comment and stuff after they start? Yep, while you're announcing the agenda, you can just make that clear. Okay. So we will have you all go first, and then we will basically start the rest of the agenda after that. Um, would love for you to stay, but also it is beautiful outside, and um our meetings can be long, so I understand if you leave after this piece. So I don't know who's kicking this off. We're gonna have Scott Guter introduce the students. Good evening, Commissioners. Um We have been blessed with um the class of 2023 of wanting to high school. They are making a big sacrifice, sacrificing their lovely evening this evening to come and talk to you about affordable housing. This is part of the uh Kirkland's um uh 20 uh 2044 uh comprehensive periodic update. Uh consequent concept uh comprehensive plan periodic update. Sorry. Um they are gonna be uh talking about uh affordable housing. This is a class uh two classes that um they're they're uh civics, they're a civics class, and they chose the topic of affordable housing, and they're gonna talk to you about what we should be doing with affordable housing and the comprehensive plan. With that, I'll uh hand it over to our first presenters. Good evening. We thank you for the work the planning commission has already done and any future work being done. My name is Mary Seitz, I live in the Totem Lake neighborhood, but I used to live in the Homespont neighborhood prior to living in Arizona for the past two years. Hello, I'm Samantha Michaels. I've lived in the Kingsia area for about 11 years. We came here with our fellow students from Juanita High School to present a proposal and possible solutions from our findings and research concerning the overall housing problem in Kirkland. As young people looking forward to a future in Kirkland, we believe that our voices should be heard. We are the next generation of homeowners and our say matters in the affordable housing conversation. We are j a generation of people that look forward to our futures. Often people that are older are the ones that have the means and access to make their voices heard and subsequently have a disproportionate amount of power over decision making. If we are truly working towards equity, then it is essential that the power is distributed to all groups. That starts with considering all voices. We conducted a survey at our school and found that overwhelming numbers of students believe that affordable housing should be the number one priority in Kirkland. Our plan of action is to increase the number of multifamily housing developments like condos and apartments outside the downtown Kirkland area. This will only be able to happen if we use the opportunity granted by the new zoning laws under the House Bill 1110, which was passed by the Senate last week. With this bill, the city of Kirkland has more freedom and can start building homes in more areas. These are not homes that are especially large or on the lake. These are average single family homes that cost more than a million dollars. To increase the availability of affordable housing in Kirkland, we must focus on the construction of smaller homes. Now that is more than likely that the Washington State Housing Bill 1110 will be signed into law, thus supersetting any zoning laws the city of Kirkland may have had. Planning should include space for businesses and public spaces around new housing to increase availability of resources and opportunities. The city can also support developers by encouraging the buying of materials in bulk, as well as having some a similar build for each house. Another option is for the city to mitigate soft costs associated with building by lowering fees for permitting design and creating an expedited approval process for builders who commit to building affordable housing. The proposed development of the 85th Street station area that the Commission will be considering considering later this evening represents the type of action that we would like to see the city take, and we strongly encourage the commission to continue their efforts to make the redevelop to make the development a reality. As a class, we would like to thank the planning commission for giving us the time to talk about affordable housing and what the city of Kirkland can do for current residents and future residents.
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