Kirkland Planning Commission Meeting - July 27, 2023
Kirkland Planning Commission Meeting - July 27, 2023
The Kirkland Planning Commission convened on July 27, 2023, at 7:01 PM in the Council Chamber for a study session focused on the Kirkland 2044 Comprehensive Plan Update. The meeting included a briefing from staff on community engagement, a draft vision statement, and additional study issues and policy changes requested by the City Council. The Commission also approved minutes from three prior meetings and received updates on the Station Area Plan and affordable housing recommendations.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes: The Commission unanimously (7-0) approved the meeting minutes from February 9, March 23, and April 27, 2023. The motion was made by Angela Rozmyn and seconded by Sandeep Singhal.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public provided comments.
Discussion Items
- Kirkland 2044 Comprehensive Plan Update Briefing:
- Deputy Planning & Building Director Allison Zike introduced the agenda item. Senior Planner Janice Swenson reported on community engagement activities, including focus groups, surveys, and tabling events. She noted additional outreach to younger adults, religious organizations, and people with disabilities, as suggested by the City Council.
- The Commission reviewed a revised draft vision statement proposed by Council member Kelly Curtis, with edits from members Nixon and Black. Commissioners expressed concerns about specific language, including the use of "attractive" (Commissioner Reusser suggested "active" or removing it), repetition, and the qualification of "racism and discrimination" (Commissioners Reusser and Tymczyszyn argued against narrowing the scope). Commissioner Singhal noted repetition and suggested reframing transit-related language to avoid implying concentration. Commissioner Heiser questioned the realism of "green roofs" and suggested removing "dependable" for transit. Commissioner Rutherford advocated for more descriptive language rather than listing specific amenities. Commissioner Tymczyszyn raised a question about treaty rights applicability in Kirkland, requesting follow-up.
- Staff reported additional study issues and policy changes requested by Council, including:
- Land Use Element: Study citywide affordable housing requirements with specific income levels; consider social justice impacts of concentrating high-density housing along transit corridors and freeways; improve access to Lake Washington while preserving vegetation and wildlife habitat; analyze the Parmac community amendment request and expand the study area; implement a 10-minute neighborhood concept around the Bridal Trails shopping center; balance jobs and housing; streamline permit review for affordable housing and high-performance buildings; encourage adaptive reuse of old office/retail buildings.
- Housing Element: Encourage creative housing types (beyond minimal housing) compliant with state requirements; consider requiring large homes to be ADU-ready. Commissioners discussed the definition of "large home" and the practicality of requiring ADU-ready designs.
- Sustainability, Climate, and Environment Element: Adopt innovative sustainability requirements from the NE 85th Street Station Area Plan citywide; add policies to preserve/enhance tree canopy and open space (to also be included in the Parks Element). Commissioner Allen suggested including e-bike charging stations.
- Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Element: Incorporate the 2022 PROS Plan gap analysis; discuss the future of the Green Kirkland Restoration Program. Commissioner Singhal noted the need to incorporate bond measure elements. Commissioner Allen advocated for activating underutilized parks.
- Human Services Element: Discuss the city's role in mental health, drug addiction, homelessness, and community responders. Commissioners expressed a range of views, with some emphasizing the need for support and others questioning the scope. Commissioner Allen shared personal experience, and Commissioner Rutherford highlighted the planning commission's role in land use that can affect mental health through community connectivity.
- Economic Development Element: Study the changing nature of home-based businesses, including deliveries and sidewalk-facing businesses; study the future of the workforce with internet sales and reuse of office/retail spaces. Commissioner Tymczyszyn noted this was on the work program.
- Community Character Element: Incorporate equity review recommendations, accurate accounting of discrimination history, and native history; revise language to be more inclusive and show recent history.
- Station Area Plan and Affordable Housing Update:
- Allison Zike reported that the City Council adopted all Phase 2 ordinances for the Station Area Plan as recommended by the Planning Commission, except for affordable housing. For affordable housing in zones 65 feet or greater, Council adopted a higher base requirement: 15% set-aside (first 10% at 50% AMI for rentals or 80% AMI for ownership, remaining 5% at flexible AMI levels). A pioneer provision (as recommended by the Commission) remains for the first 624 units or until end of 2025, whichever is later, allowing 5% at 50% AMI plus 5% flexible. Staff will provide updates on utilization prior to expiration.
- Commissioners expressed interest in monitoring uptake and possibly revisiting the provision.
Key Outcomes
- Approved Minutes: February 9, March 23, and April 27, 2023 (unanimous).
- Vision Statement: The Commission provided input on the draft vision statement; staff will incorporate feedback and continue refining.
- Study Issues: The Commission endorsed the additional study issues and policy changes requested by Council, with some comments and clarifications.
- Station Area Plan: Council adopted most of the Commission's recommendations; affordable housing requirement was modified as described. Staff will provide quarterly updates on Station Area Plan development activity.
- Future Meetings: The August 10, 2023 meeting was canceled. Upcoming meetings will cover Juanita/Kingsgate neighborhood plans, Transportation Master Plan overview (August 24), and Housing/Human Services briefing (September 28). A joint meeting with the Transportation Commission is scheduled for October 25.
Meeting Transcript
It's not still operating, is it? No. Okay. Great. I would like to call to order the uh July twenty-seventh 2023 planning commission meeting. And on tonight's agenda. We're gonna have an update on the twenty twenty-four or twenty forty-four comprehensive plan, and we'll get a briefing from staff. Um but before we do that, I'd like to have roll call. Gotcha, Ellen. Yes. Rhea Heiser. Here, Spot Racer? Here. Angela Rosman. Here. Rodney Rutherford. Here. Sandy Single? Here. John Timchison. Okay. And before we start, are there any comments from the audience? Is there anyone online? And I'm not seeing anybody, so I think we can just jump right in and we'll have a staff presentation. Great. Thank you, Chair Ricer. So for the um comp plan update briefing tonight, we have Janice Swinson, our senior planner and project manager for the update. I'll hand it over to Janice. Thank you. Oh after we met with uh sorry. Okay. Um we met with City Council on July uh eighteenth, and we wanted to give you some of the feedback that they had for us to share with you on the update uh and on the community engagement activities that we've been undertaking. Uh the draft vision statement that you you saw a version, a previous version at your last um June 22nd meeting, and then also they had some additional study issues or policy changes that they wanted us to look at, and then we'll go over next steps. So regarding community engagement, uh you have in your packet a list uh summary of uh things that we have been doing to reach the community and outreach and engage with them. We've uh done focus groups and surveys for land use, uh housing and human services, uh uh sustainability environment and climate. And we are going to be working on, and we've done many tabling events, but we are going to continue to uh work on the tabling events. Um planning on doing farmers market booths like tomorrow. We'll be at the Wanita uh uh farmers market. We are working on engagement on for City Hall for all in the fall, and we'll be starting on the economic development element outreach along um in coordination with the city manager's economic development team in um August, September, and October. Uh we'll continue this next year on um seasonal tabling events, and we'll have open houses forums and uh we're looking we're working on outreach with the housing uh nonprofit housing facilities and organizations in Kirkland, and we plan on having open houses on the draft plan uh uh early next year in spring with a public hearing with you all in April. That's the goal. We are kicking off the Juanita and Kingsgate neighborhood plan update and uh under a separate process. Um some of the comments that City Council had on additional community engagement activities that they'd like to see us uh work on are uh trying to engage more with the 20, um, the age age group of 20 somethings and perhaps work with Northwest University and Lake Washington Tech College on that, uh reach out to religious organizations, employees of local businesses to inquire you know, do they live in Kirkland or if they don't what would encourage them to live and work in Kirkland? And that would tie in with perhaps affordability housing affordability issues, also to reach out with people with disabilities. So we are um trying to, we will work on these uh on these efforts where feasible. Uh we do need to uh focus more on the writing of the policies and the elements to keep on track. So we will consider their comments and um and continue working on that. So I'll pause there and see if you have any questions on any of council comments on community engagement before we move to the vision statement. Um sorry, no. Um are we just talking about who to potentially reach out to?
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