As we mark Pride Month this June, Liveable Kirkland stands in deep solidarity with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. While Pride is traditionally a time of celebration, it is impossible to ignore the immense difficulty, hostility, and systemic pushback that 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals in Kirkland and across our country are currently facing. This weight is felt with particular severity by our trans neighbors, who find their rights, dignity, and very existence under constant threat.

True liveability cannot be measured solely by corner stores, bike lanes, or housing affordability. A city is only truly liveable when everyone within it feels safe. True liveability begins with knowing your life is not in danger and possessing the freedom to simply be who you are, authentically and openly, in public spaces and private life alike. When segments of our community are threatened, the very foundation of our civic fabric is compromised.

The reality of these stakes was brought devastatingly close to home recently with the murder of Juniper Blessing. Juniper’s loss is a heartbreaking reminder of the real-world consequences of intolerance and the critical need for robust, active networks of care and support.

If you are looking for tangible ways to stand with the community, we urge you to support the following initiatives:

Creating a liveable Kirkland means building a city where every single neighbor can thrive without fear. Let us use this month for reflection, but also for a renewed commitment to advocacy, safety, and mutual support.

(Where you can also sign up to get this weekly newsletter on the latest in Kirkland happenings, straight to your inbox!)

Liveable Kirkland is a proud sponsor of the Juneteenth Celebration organized by Eastside for All in Kirkland.

Organized by local Black leaders, the Juneteenth event is happy to welcome back Mr. Delbert Richardson and his national award-winning Unspoken Truths Traveling Museum.

Learn about the significance of Juneteenth, enjoy delicious food, shop from Black-owned businesses, and connect with community organizations. Come celebrate!

Featuring DJ AmberLove | Free and open to all

East King County Black graduates will be honored at the event - graduates sign up here

Community Center Purchase

The Council voted 6-0 to authorize the $10 million purchase of the former LDS church property on NE 132nd Street. The City of Kirkland will use money from the following sources to pay for the purchase:

Houghton Village Sale Update

On Tuesday the City Council voted 6-0 to declare the Houghton Village property surplus to the city’s needs, enabling the city to sell the property. The final sale of the property will still have to be approved by the city council.

Central Way Bike and Pedestrian Improvements

With a $1.5 million grant from the state’s Transportation Improvement Board Complete Streets program, the city will be building a raised bike lane on Central Way at a total cost of $3.98M. The city will be building a six foot wide bike lane and expanding the existing sidewalk to 8 feet wide. The city originally considered a cheaper alternative, but rejected it in order to preserve the 23 parking spots on the eastbound side of Central Way. Funding for the city’s portion of the project will be redirected from contingency funds from the Transportation Benefit District funds, intersection improvements at NE 112th St and 80th Ave NE & Juanita Drive (which face right of way acquisition costs and are not fully funded), and additional left turn lanes at NE 85th St and 132nd Ave NE (which also face right of way issues and the original pre-covid scope may underestimate the total cost).

Totem Lake SIS Visioning

The Planning Commission will receive a briefing from both City Staff and BLOXHUB, a Danish urban design collective, about creating a vision for the Totem Lake Southern Industrial Subarea. The SIS is west of I-405 and south of NE 116th St, and the CKC passes right through the middle of it. The current zoning of this subarea has significant limitations on residential uses, so it is primarily developed with warehouse, light industrial and office uses. 

Kirkland’s latest Comprehensive Plan, adopted in 2024, called for a new subarea plan here to “evaluate and identify the necessary infrastructure and services to consider a new mixed-use, walkable, sustainable neighborhood that leverages its proximity to the Cross Kirkland Corridor (CKC) and the Village at Totem Lake”. SB 6026, passed by the state legislature in 2026, will likely require the city to re-think zoning in this subarea as well.

The study requirements for this subarea plan, as laid out in the comprehensive plan, are extensive, and planning staff / budget have so far been prioritized elsewhere. However, thanks to a grant, the City has been able to work with BLOXHUB to create a vision that will set the tone of the plan and future studies. BLOXHUB facilitated a workshop on April 30th, and the results of it will be discussed at the meeting. BLOXHUB will be working with city staff to develop some design concepts and host a second workshop in the days prior to the Planning Commission meeting.

The meeting memo contains a summary of the first workshop. Representatives from various Nordic design firms presented examples of similar projects in other cities, and their slides are linked from the memo.

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!)