A large crowd of Finn Hill residents gathered at the Latter Day Saints Church in Kirkland Tuesday night to discuss the proposal to build a new fire station at Big Finn Hill Park.
Fire District 41 commissioners hosted the public meeting and opened with remarks noting their concerns for safety and financial impacts on the district residents. They stressed that the proposal is not a “done deal” and that the meeting was part of a process intended to gather more information.
There was a lot of gathering as many residents stood to ask questions and make comments following introductory remarks. A moderator from the public relations firm Frause mediated the discussion. Besides the commissioners, representatives from the City of Kirkland, King County Council member Jane Hague’s office, King County Executive Dow Constantine’s office, and King County Parks made statements relative to their respective positions on the matter.
Commissioner Jim Lloyd opened by expressing his concern for the safety of Finn Hill residents as motivation for the proposal that would consolidate Fire Stations 24 and 25. He also emphasized his own passion for the trails as a biker and local resident and recalled walking his dog for many years in the parks.
Commissioner Rich Krogh is also a Finn Hill resident and echoed the sentiments regarding the natural settings. Commissioner Toby Nixon explained the financial aspects of the project, noting how approximately $1.5 million has already been set aside and estimating total costs to build station 29 at about $3.5 million.
Additional funding would come from the sale of the existing stations plus levying additional taxes on district residents to pay the balance. Those taxes would be much less than the current tax though the addition of other city taxes following annexation could ultimately mean residents don’t see a difference on their tax bills.
Kirkland and District Fire Chief Kevin Nalder explained the role of response times in helping determine the location for a new station. He stressed that minutes are critical with regards to saving both lives and property.
But response from audience members was passionate and vocal. Most who spoke opposed the proposed location. Among the objections:
• Parkland is too important to be given over to any development
• A parking lot is not needed.
• A traffic signal would be necessary at the intersection of 138th Place and Juanita Drive but the feasibility of that is in question because of sight distance.
• Without more definitive cost estimates, it’s too soon to know if the proposed site is indeed a better alternative to another site originally looked at near Finn Hill Junior High.
• The amount of traffic on Juanita Drive and the dangers of the S-curves in that area threaten the ability of emergency vehicles to enter and exit safely.
• The process is taking place too quickly to meet a deadline of June 1st when the city of Kirkland formally annexes the area.
• Not enough alternatives have been considered.
Nixon stressed the goal of the commissioners is to finalize an interlocal agreement with the city and county in regards to the cash reserves collected but that the process will continue after annexation with more hearings, studies, and considerations.
People are invited to continue to comment via e-mail to the commissioners, Kirkland council members, and County Councilmember Jane Hague’s office.
Jeff Hoerth is past president of the Denny Creek Neighborhood Alliance.
