As a long-time Kirkland resident, I am concerned about the aggressive proposal to develop a Houghton/Everest Neighborhood Center (Center) on 108th Ave Northeast and Northeast 68th St. Despite strong neighborhood opposition, the City’s Planning Commission, along with property owners and developers, are pushing for zoning to allow five-story, 55-foot-tall buildings. The proposal looks similar to Juanita Village where parking is scarce and tight. Underground parking is being considered for the Center at a steep $40,000 per stall.
After attending the open houses, I discovered that housing needs are being and will be met by what’s already being built in Kirkland, especially Totem Lake. There is no housing shortage, as is being purported. Small businesses may be squeezed out of the Center as they won’t be able to afford the new leases. By 2035, traffic volumes on 108th could increase by 25 percent with this ambitious plan, with the current 1.25 mile (20 minute wait) back-up increasing to 1.56 miles during peak travel times.
One offered solution was to have buses run along the CKC (Cross Kirkland Corridor) trail to alleviate the traffic on 108th. At a recent For the Love of Kirkland seminar, attended by over 100 residents, the trail was listed as one of the top loved asset of the city. One of the goals of the Center plan is to “protect and enhance the natural environment”. Hence, using the only designated green space for bus transit should not even be in the plan.
I urge the City Council to not cave into the property owners and developers’ talks of economic need and to realistically think about the long term impact to the infrastructure and livability of our neighborhoods. Either take a more conservative approach in the development of the retail sector based on the needs of the people that live and work nearby and ability of the current infrastructure to handle that type of growth OR take a ‘wait and see’ approach after the developments of Kirkland Urban, Totem Lake and NW (Northwest) University are completed.
Only after these major developments are complete will the city be better able to evaluate the impact of the increase in traffic flow and how the Center’s retail can provide for the needs not being met by the other nearby retail centers.
The next open house is scheduled on Feb. 23. Go to www.kirklandwa.gov for more information.
Jan Young, Kirkland
