Meeting colors

OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Kirkland Planning Commission Meeting – October 24, 2024: Houghton Village & Park & Ride Updates

Planning Commission — Thursday, October 24, 2024

BodyKirkland, Washington

SessionPlanning Commission

DateThursday, October 24, 2024

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:12:40

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

1:21

This meeting of the Kirkland Planning Commission is called to order.

1:24

Let's start with a roll call.

1:26

Bria Heiser.

1:27

Here.

1:28

Aaron Jacobson.

1:29

Here.

1:29

Gina Medea.

1:30

Here.

1:31

Scott Racer.

1:32

Here.

1:32

Justin Robins.

1:34

Here.

1:35

Angela Rasman.

1:36

Here.

1:36

Redney Rutherford.

1:38

Here.

1:38

Thanks.

1:40

All right.

1:41

With that, a majority of commissioners are present.

1:44

We have a quorum.

1:45

Next is comments from the audience.

1:48

And I see we have one, so I have uh instructions to read ahead of the comments from the audience.

1:56

This portion of the meeting is when we hear from the public about items that are not scheduled for public hearing tonight.

2:02

There is no public hearing, so no need to worry about that.

2:04

Before I provide instructions for public comment, I would like to clarify when individuals should provide their comments.

2:21

We ask that you direct your comments to the commission.

2:23

The timer on the dais will flash with a yellow light when you are nearing the end of your time and a red light when your time is elapsed.

2:30

To be fair to all speakers, we will adhere to the strictly to the three minute limit.

2:34

The commission wants to hear from as many different views and opinions as possible.

2:38

If you have already heard another speaker state your comment, please consider not repeating the comment and instead providing a comment or perspective that is unique to you.

2:46

We'll begin audience in the audience with the list of people here in person that have signed up to speak.

2:52

When I call your name, please approach the dice to address us.

3:38

Oh, yeah, there's a slight echo.

3:40

We've experienced disruptive behavior at recent commission meetings.

3:43

Let's please not let that happen again.

3:50

Uh makes the orderly conduct of this meeting unfeasible.

3:54

I as chair will uh and presiding officer will call for recess so that order order can be restored.

3:59

And so that clearing the room and completing the meeting in another location is not necessary.

4:11

So uh with that, I would like to invite uh as uh uh Suzet Hadi.

4:17

All right.

4:18

Thank you.

4:18

Go ahead.

4:19

Hi.

4:20

My name's Suzette Hayle.

4:21

I'm the vice president of the HOA at the Springbrook uh Square.

4:25

If you guys don't know where that is, it's between 124th and 132nd off of a hundredth.

4:30

Uh it's 161 townhome community with both town homes and single family homes.

4:35

Um I'm speaking to you today about um our permit application number, SAR 24-00488.

4:44

This is a bridge that was built on Springport property in 1981 when we were owned while we were residing in unincorporated King County.

4:52

Uh the bridge has been closed since 2020 due to uh a heavy rainfall that caused the bridge to do a tilt.

5:00

And so for safety reasons, we closed the bridge.

5:03

Ever since then, we've been trying to figure out a way to get the bridge fixed, and finally in 2023, we came together with PBS Consulting, an engineering firm that has been communicating with you about our bridge.

5:21

What I'm trying to really put on there's the human face of the fact the bridge is closed and how that has impacted us.

5:40

What has happened is these townhomes, there's five of them.

5:44

The way our lane is uh situated, um, if it were to be blocked by EMS coming in or fallen trees or a fire or anything like that, these people no longer have a safe exit.

5:55

Uh they use that bridge to exit over to uh 100 and I believe it's 14th Avenue Northeast or 102nd.

6:03

Anyway, they go over the bridge and then out to 100th.

6:06

Without the access to the bridge, their only access is to go up a very steep hill, which is a very natural path, which means there's no paving, no gravel, no nothing.

6:15

And uh quite honestly, there are people that live in that area that cannot physically do that.

6:21

Um that has been our biggest concern uh about the bridge.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Zoning Regulations████████████████████████████28%

Affordable Housing████████████████████20%

Transportation████████████12%

Planning And Zoning████████8%

Procedural███████7%

Community Engagement███████7%

Public Engagement███████7%

Permit Processing██████6%

Economic Development████4%

Summary of Proceedings

Kirkland Planning Commission Meeting – October 24, 2024

The Kirkland Planning Commission held a study session on October 24, 2024, starting at 6:01 PM (the agenda listed a 7:00 PM start, but the meeting was called to order early). The commission reviewed two major projects: the Houghton Village Development Plan and the Houghton Park & Ride Zoning Code Amendments, including a proposal from the Kraken Iceplex. Public comments were heard on a bridge permit, parking alternatives, and meeting start time. Minutes from four prior meetings were approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

Suzette Haile (Vice President, Springbrook Square HOA) expressed concern about the closure of a bridge (Permit SAR24-00488) since 2020 due to a tilt. She described safety impacts for residents, including lack of safe exit for five townhomes, difficulty accessing bus stops, and social benefits of reopening the bridge. Staff offered to follow up on the permit status.
Luetta Hawkinson (Kirkland resident) suggested that instead of providing extensive parking for the Houghton Village Development, the city should offer a van service running from the development to the Kirkland Transit Center from 6 AM to 10 PM, noting it would be cheaper than parking.
Ken MacKenzie (Kirkland resident) requested the Planning Commission return to a 7:00 PM or 7:30 PM start time for meetings.

Discussion Items

Houghton Village Development Plan Update

Deputy Planning and Building Director Allison Zike presented the project background, community engagement (focus groups, tabling events, PTSA input), and three design options (A, B, C). Council has coalesced around Option B, which features two buildings, a central paseo, and a new street connection. All options include 1 story of commercial/community/retail on ground floor, 4 stories of residential above (up to 5 stories total), public open space, and underground parking. Residential units range from 140–160.
A market analysis based on Option B was reviewed. Key findings: parking requirements significantly affect feasibility; reduced parking (similar to station area plan ratios) improves feasibility; splitting affordable and market-rate buildings could open funding sources like low-income housing tax credits; a cooperative ownership model may be feasible. A minor zoning code amendment to clarify height allowances is expected early 2025.
Commissioners discussed parking costs, housing unit sizes, demand for vehicles, cooperative ownership, and potential policy interventions (e.g., reducing parking requirements). Chair Rutherford suggested creative options like flexible ground-floor uses or shared parking under streets. Staff noted ongoing traffic analysis and conversations with neighboring property owners about street connections.

Houghton Park & Ride Zoning Code Amendments Briefing

Allison Zike provided context: the site was purchased in 2023, land use designation changed to transit-oriented development in December 2023. The site remains zoned RS-8.5 (single-family). Staff are considering a park zone for the property, which could accommodate the proposed Kraken Iceplex and a 12,000 sq ft community recreation center funded by the Kraken's lease.
Deputy City Manager Jim Lopez described the Kraken proposal: a two-story, two-sheet ice facility (similar to Northgate) with a negotiated framework approved by council. The city would use bonding capacity to finance the project, with the Kraken's lease revenue paying the debt service. Negotiations are ongoing, with a 40-year lease term sought. Key negotiating points include local benefits (discounts, philanthropy, restaurant, civic event space) and economic development from tournaments.
Commissioners asked about zoning options (e.g., civic mixed-use from station area plan), mitigation for neighboring properties, lease term security, and local rate guarantees. Staff noted that future rezoning would require a public hearing and commission recommendation, likely early 2025.

Administrative Reports & Planning Commission Discussion

Calendar Update: Next meeting is November 14, 2024 (only meeting in November; November 28 canceled for Thanksgiving). December 12 may be canceled. The November 14 meeting will focus on a briefing on middle housing (HB 1110) implementation, including compliance vs. optimization.
Comprehensive Plan: Council study session on November 19, 2024; adoption scheduled for December 10, 2024. Staff are working on amendments requested by council, including a short vision statement and standardized language in housing and land use elements. A dinner to thank the commission for comprehensive plan work is being arranged.
State Mandates: Staff reported on progress for HB 5290 (permit reporting) and HB 1293 (design review reform), both due mid-2025. A permit dashboard is being developed to track review cycles and timelines.

Key Outcomes

Approval of Minutes: Motion to approve the July 11, July 25, August 8, and August 22, 2024 meeting minutes carried 7-0 (Rutherford, Heiser, Jacobson, Madeya, Reusser, Robbins, Rozmyn).
Next Steps: Houghton Village – council update on November 19, 2024; draft development plan for council decision early 2025; zoning code amendment public hearing early 2025. Houghton Park & Ride – continued negotiations with Kraken; staff to draft zoning proposal; commission public hearing and recommendation early 2025.
Meeting Adjourned at 7:13 PM.

Meeting Transcript

This meeting of the Kirkland Planning Commission is called to order. Let's start with a roll call. Bria Heiser. Here. Aaron Jacobson. Here. Gina Medea. Here. Scott Racer. Here. Justin Robins. Here. Angela Rasman. Here. Redney Rutherford. Here. Thanks. All right. With that, a majority of commissioners are present. We have a quorum. Next is comments from the audience. And I see we have one, so I have uh instructions to read ahead of the comments from the audience. This portion of the meeting is when we hear from the public about items that are not scheduled for public hearing tonight. There is no public hearing, so no need to worry about that. Before I provide instructions for public comment, I would like to clarify when individuals should provide their comments. We ask that you direct your comments to the commission. The timer on the dais will flash with a yellow light when you are nearing the end of your time and a red light when your time is elapsed. To be fair to all speakers, we will adhere to the strictly to the three minute limit. The commission wants to hear from as many different views and opinions as possible. If you have already heard another speaker state your comment, please consider not repeating the comment and instead providing a comment or perspective that is unique to you. We'll begin audience in the audience with the list of people here in person that have signed up to speak. When I call your name, please approach the dice to address us. Oh, yeah, there's a slight echo. We've experienced disruptive behavior at recent commission meetings. Let's please not let that happen again. Uh makes the orderly conduct of this meeting unfeasible. I as chair will uh and presiding officer will call for recess so that order order can be restored. And so that clearing the room and completing the meeting in another location is not necessary. So uh with that, I would like to invite uh as uh uh Suzet Hadi. All right. Thank you. Go ahead. Hi. My name's Suzette Hayle. I'm the vice president of the HOA at the Springbrook uh Square. If you guys don't know where that is, it's between 124th and 132nd off of a hundredth. Uh it's 161 townhome community with both town homes and single family homes. Um I'm speaking to you today about um our permit application number, SAR 24-00488. This is a bridge that was built on Springport property in 1981 when we were owned while we were residing in unincorporated King County. Uh the bridge has been closed since 2020 due to uh a heavy rainfall that caused the bridge to do a tilt.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI

TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com