OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Kirkland Planning Commission Meeting - August 28, 2025

Planning Commission — Thursday, August 28, 2025
BodyKirkland, Washington
SessionPlanning Commission
DateThursday, August 28, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:10:07

Transcript — Verbatim
0:56

Hold to order.

0:57

Let's start with a roll call.

1:02

Um Alison is also somebody.

1:07

Or pausing for just a moment.

1:10

Rodney Rutherford.

1:12

Here.

1:12

Angela Rosman.

1:14

Here.

1:14

Aaron Jacobson.

1:16

Here.

1:17

Gina Madeo.

1:18

Here.

1:19

Julia Nolan.

1:20

Here.

1:21

Scott Riser.

1:24

All right.

1:26

And with that, um, with the majority of commissioners present, we have a quorum and may conduct business.

1:32

Uh next item on the agenda is uh uh items from the audience.

1:37

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

1:42

Uh tonight's uh public hearing is about miscellaneous code amendments and co-living housing zoning and municipal code amendments.

1:50

If you'd like to address the commission at this time, not about the public hearing, uh please raise your hand.

1:56

Uh and if you're participating remotely, you can press the raise hand button uh to indicate your interest in speaking at this time.

2:05

And I don't think we have any sign-ins here.

2:08

And seeing no hands, uh then we can proceed.

2:13

Uh yeah, yeah.

2:17

This is just for items that are not on the on the public hearing.

2:21

Um so with that, uh, next item on the agenda is special presentations.

2:26

There are none.

2:27

Uh next item is study session.

2:30

There is none.

2:31

Uh, and we're on to public hearings.

2:34

The first public hearing is the 2025 miscellaneous code amendments.

2:40

Uh, and I hereby open this public hearing.

2:45

All right, thank you, Mr.

2:46

Chair.

2:47

Um, so we're gonna pull up your presentation here.

2:51

Um you first received a briefing on this one back in July.

2:55

We're bringing it back for public hearing tonight.

2:58

Um there's been a little bit of a staff change around here, so I am not Peter, but um credit to Peter Milliken for his good work on this project, and I'm just getting it through the finish line with y'all tonight and then at council.

3:09

So um for the public hearing, we'll have the staff presentation.

3:13

Um is welcome to ask any questions you might have to clarify.

3:16

Staff's recommendation to you before opening it up for public testimony after you receive public testimony.

3:22

If you're ready, um you can deliberate and make your recommendation to city council.

3:28

So I'm gonna be brief tonight.

3:30

Please feel free to stop me if you want more detail on anything.

3:33

Um, generally to remind both you and any members of the community watching what are miscellaneous code amendments.

3:39

This is an annual package of code amendments that we bring you, and they're typically reflective of clarifications, things with very little to no policy impact.

3:50

Um slight edits to maintain consistency with other regulations to clarify maybe something that we found in practice could be better described in the code.

4:01

Um, and in certain cases, including this here also to codify policy direction from city council.

4:07

That's the one we'll spend just a little bit of time on tonight.

4:10

So this package is really split up into three buckets of code amendments.

4:16

The first are really just those clarifying ministerial and consistency amendments.

4:20

So these are ones where maybe we referenced a section one inadvertently, and it should have been a section two.

4:26

Um we went over these with you in July.

4:29

I'm happy to answer any questions about them.

4:31

The one item in this list of the really minor bucket that I do want to point out to you just because we didn't mention it to you back in July.

4:39

It is new since July is item 16.

4:42

This was included in your packet, and this is reinstating um some development standards for the RH1B zone that were inadvertently repealed.

4:52

So with the station area rezones, um, there were two parcels that were in the RH1B zone that were not rezoned to a station area zone.

5:01

So we do need that section of the code reinstated to make sure we have development standards for those parcels.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Planning And Zoning█████████████████████████████████████████████48%
Public Engagement███████████12%
Procedural██████████11%
Code Enforcement███████7%
Environmental Protection██████6%
Home Occupation██████6%
Water And Wastewater Management███3%
Child Care███3%
Affordable Housing███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Kirkland Planning Commission Meeting - August 28, 2025

The Kirkland Planning Commission met on August 28, 2025, at 6:02 PM in the Council Chamber. The meeting covered two public hearings: 2025 Miscellaneous Code Amendments and Co-Living Housing Zoning and Municipal Code Amendments. Both items were recommended for approval to the City Council with a 5-0 vote. The Commission also discussed upcoming meetings and a vacancy on the Commission.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Miscellaneous Code Amendments: Several residents spoke in favor of increasing the artificial turf lot coverage exemption from the proposed 75% to 100%, citing drainage benefits, reduced water use, and inconsistent enforcement. Others raised concerns about SEPA exemptions for commercial-to-residential conversions and the allowance of permanent supportive housing by right without additional public review. One speaker asked about the timeline for increasing child care home capacity from 12 to 16 children.
  • Co-Living Housing: Liz Hunt requested clarification on how density and parking requirements are calculated for co-living units.

Discussion Items

1. 2025 Miscellaneous Code Amendments (File No. CAM25-00441) Staff presented the annual package of code amendments, which include minor clarifications, a council-directed change to increase the artificial turf lot coverage exemption from 50% to 75%, and several updates to comply with state legislation (e.g., SEPA exemption thresholds, definitions for transitional housing, commercial-to-residential conversions). Commissioners discussed the purpose of lot coverage regulations (hardscape vs. softscape), potential environmental impacts of artificial turf (heat island, microplastics), and the need for further study. The Commission approved the package with a note to council to study artificial turf more comprehensively in the future.

2. Co-Living Housing Zoning and Municipal Code Amendments (File No. CAM25-00302) Staff presented amendments to comply with Washington State House Bill 1998, which requires co-living housing to be permitted on any lot that could develop six or more units. Key provisions include defining co-living housing, setting a parking requirement compliant with both HB 1998 and SB 5184 (resulting in zero parking for most units), and exempting co-living from affordable housing requirements while allowing use of affordable housing incentives. Commissioners expressed support for the amendments, noting the affordability benefits.

Administrative Reports Staff announced that the September 11, 2025, meeting is cancelled; the next meeting is September 25, 2025, for a study session on the Critical Areas Ordinance Update. A new Planning Commissioner may be appointed by City Council on September 16, 2025, following interviews on September 9, 2025.

Key Outcomes

  • Miscellaneous Code Amendments: Approved 5-0. The Commission recommended that the City Council adopt the amendments as proposed by staff, with a note to conduct a future study on artificial turf.
  • Co-Living Housing Amendments: Approved 5-0. The Commission recommended the City Council adopt the amendments as proposed by staff.
  • Next Meeting: September 25, 2025, for a study session on the Critical Areas Ordinance Update.

Meeting Transcript

Hold to order. Let's start with a roll call. Um Alison is also somebody. Or pausing for just a moment. Rodney Rutherford. Here. Angela Rosman. Here. Aaron Jacobson. Here. Gina Madeo. Here. Julia Nolan. Here. Scott Riser. All right. And with that, um, with the majority of commissioners present, we have a quorum and may conduct business. Uh next item on the agenda is uh uh items from the audience. This is the portion of the meeting where we hear from the public about items that are not scheduled for public hearing. Uh tonight's uh public hearing is about miscellaneous code amendments and co-living housing zoning and municipal code amendments. If you'd like to address the commission at this time, not about the public hearing, uh please raise your hand. Uh and if you're participating remotely, you can press the raise hand button uh to indicate your interest in speaking at this time. And I don't think we have any sign-ins here. And seeing no hands, uh then we can proceed. Uh yeah, yeah. This is just for items that are not on the on the public hearing. Um so with that, uh, next item on the agenda is special presentations. There are none. Uh next item is study session. There is none. Uh, and we're on to public hearings. The first public hearing is the 2025 miscellaneous code amendments. Uh, and I hereby open this public hearing. All right, thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, so we're gonna pull up your presentation here. Um you first received a briefing on this one back in July. We're bringing it back for public hearing tonight. Um there's been a little bit of a staff change around here, so I am not Peter, but um credit to Peter Milliken for his good work on this project, and I'm just getting it through the finish line with y'all tonight and then at council. So um for the public hearing, we'll have the staff presentation. Um is welcome to ask any questions you might have to clarify. Staff's recommendation to you before opening it up for public testimony after you receive public testimony. If you're ready, um you can deliberate and make your recommendation to city council. So I'm gonna be brief tonight. Please feel free to stop me if you want more detail on anything. Um, generally to remind both you and any members of the community watching what are miscellaneous code amendments. This is an annual package of code amendments that we bring you, and they're typically reflective of clarifications, things with very little to no policy impact. Um slight edits to maintain consistency with other regulations to clarify maybe something that we found in practice could be better described in the code. Um, and in certain cases, including this here also to codify policy direction from city council. That's the one we'll spend just a little bit of time on tonight.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI
TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com