Next week is Affordable Housing Week, a weeklong series of education and advocacy events put together by the Housing Development Consortium and centered on King County. There will be 18 events in total, some spread out in different cities in the county and some virtual. In particular we’d like to highlight the East King County Homeownership Expo:

Do you have lived-experiences in income-restricted housing ("affordable housing")? If so, this Housing & Environmental Equity Survey is your chance to tell decision makers about what is important to you!

Eastside Environmental Equity Coalition (of which Liveable Kirkland is a member) is collecting this data. All responses are confidential and anonymous. Data from this survey will be used to inform elected officials and city decision-makers about the lived experiences of community members in affordable housing, and point-in-time observations for residents and workers in their cities.

Please share this survey link with others who might be able to share their insights and experiences. The survey is available in a growing list of languages.

Adoption of NE 85th St Station Area Zoning Code Amendments

The City Council re-opened the discussion on Ordinance 4936 which was tabled during the previous City Council meeting. After an amendment to continue allowing townhomes on a few parcels, the Ordinance passed unanimously.

During discussion before these votes, Councilmembers were eager to highlight their commitment to the vision of the 85th St Station Area as a vibrant neighborhood with many homes, shops and services. While the ban on townhomes will prevent parcels from getting “locked in” at lower densities than planned, little has been done to make it easier to build the apartments and mixed use buildings that this vision requires. The underlying zoning, design requirements and public benefit requirements have hardly changed since the Station Area plan was adopted in 2023. Removing parking requirements (and doing so early) was a good move, but it’s unlikely to be enough. 

It’s true that market conditions have made it difficult to build in the Station Area. But while there has been nearly no activity on 85th St, development is still happening today on the Eastside. Many projects have opened around the 2 Line in Bellevue and Redmond, even before the line connected to Seattle. Now that the line is connected, even more projects are getting underway.  

Neighborhood Safety Program (NSP) Recommended Projects

Every year the city’s neighborhood associations meet to evaluate and recommend pedestrian safety projects in their neighborhoods. This year’s recommendation included nine projects totaling an estimated cost of $395, 261, slightly over the program’s budget of $350k. The project list can be found in last week’s newsletter.

Neighborhoods not seeing approved projects this year are: Central Houghton, Juanita, Lakeview, and Totem Lake (Totem Lake having no neighborhood association).

The City Council approved all nine of the recommended projects with direction to staff to find the money to support the above budget costs.

Housing on Faith-Owned Land Pilot Program Briefing

Staff presented background information on the State legislation that led to this work, and a brief overview of programs established by nearby cities, such as Bellevue, Redmond and Seattle. Staff proposed that the city start this program as a pilot, so that it’s clear that the City is willing to try something, learn, and adapt.

There were some questions from Councilmembers about what it would mean to establish this program as a pilot, such as how would the number of applicants be limited, and how would the program evolve over time.

Ultimately, Staff just needed direction on what sort of process should be used to administer the final program. The City Council voted unanimously for Option 1, which is to adopt new development standards/allowances and to review any applications administratively. The nature of these new regulations will be determined at future meetings.

Kirkland Tool Library Draft Scope of Work

The proposed tool library, supported by Liveable Kirkland, will make it possible for residents to access tools for home repair, gardening, do-it-yourself (DIY) projects without having to own the tools themselves. 

Council gave staff direction to move forward with the request for proposals (RFP) from organizations looking to partner with the city in creating an Eastside tool library in Kirkland. Feedback from council included: concerns around whether too many proposals will rely on city provided space, concerns about the city taking on liability, and concerns about the financial sustainability of the project. The City Council directed staff to incorporate that feedback and move forward with the RFP. An implementation plan will have to be approved by council before the city’s $100k grant is made available to the applicant chosen from the RFP process.

LRM - Economic Competitiveness Study

Responding the Council Member Pascal’s legislative request memo (LRM) to understand what it would take for the city to undertake a consultant study of the city’s economic competitiveness, with the results of the study being used as part of the city’s budget process. 

After some clarifications council directed staff to:

Hire a consultant to conduct a targeted economic competitiveness study that looks at economic factors, including existing commercial opportunities, retail vacancy rates (and commercial lease rates), taxes, fees, and utilities to provide results for Council consideration during the 2027-2028 budget process. Staff should bring back a scope for this narrowed study, including an evaluation of a local minimum wage, for Council consideration. The Council may explore a development services review as a separate study at a future time. 

As part of this direction, staff will be combining the work analyzing the city’s economic competitiveness with the work on potentially raising the city’s minimum wage.

Housing on Faith-Owned Land Pilot Program Briefing

Staff will give a presentation on the background information of this program. The memo includes discussion on the state law that prompted it, the city’s comp plan policy, what other neighboring cities have done, and some examples of similar projects from across the country.

Staff is also seeking feedback from the Commission to inform the scope of research and regulation updates. State law doesn’t prescribe how cities need to allow for additional development capacity on these faith-owned sites, so there are many possible options.

Staff provided the following discussion questions in the memo:

1. What development standards, including height, setbacks, open space, and frontage orientation, should apply to ensure compatibility with surrounding neighborhoods while supporting feasible affordable housing development on faith-owned properties?

2. Should the local program require affordable housing set-asides that go beyond those required by the State?

3. How should the program support mixed-use opportunities such as community services, commercial uses, or other public benefits on these sites?

4. What criteria should be included in an administrative approval process to ensure predictability, transparency, and alignment with the City's adopted housing policies?

5. What additional information or analysis would help the PC evaluate potential code amendments and program features, such as examples from other cities, development capacity analysis, or conceptual site scenarios?

After the meeting, Staff will work with ARCH, faith organizations, affordable housing developers and community stakeholders to develop code amendments. The Planning Commission will then review the amendments and forward a proposal to the City Council for adoption. The memo did not give a timeline for next steps, but this project has been on the work program since 2025.

Residential Lot Splitting Code Updates

The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing regarding changes to KMC 22.10. These changes are being made to comply with HB 1096, which was passed in 2025.

HB 1096 is follow-on legislation from the State’s 2024 work on middle housing. In 2024, the concept of lot splitting was introduced but not defined, so HB 1096 establishes the definition and processes. Residential Lot Splits will have very similar outcomes to a Short Plat, but will require less staff time, lower permit fees, and can be completed quicker. RLS can only produce one additional lot, while other subdivision types can produce more lots. Generally, the same standards for infrastructure, right-of-way and environmental impacts will still apply.

PC Officer Elections

The Planning Commission will have an election for Chair and Vice Chair (which is a one-year term). The current Chair, Angela Rozmyn, will be leaving the Planning Commission in June when her second term on the Commission is completed. Aaron Jacobson is the current Vice Chair of the Commission. There are no requirements for being Chair or Vice Chair, but it has traditionally been done by seniority.

Join Liveable Kirkland in a conversation about our city’s present and future! We have an active community on Discord and Facebook and we’d love it if you joined in too : )

(And if you add a picture you took to #photos on Discord it might get featured in next week’s issue!)