Early in the new Comprehensive Plan process, citizens need to underscore the urgency around implementing appropriate development regulations for neighborhood business zoning.

In the recent council packet, it states: “What issues do you hope your city focuses on as it plans for the year 2035?” The packet continues: “Allow small stores in residential-zoned areas. Like grocery stores with apartments above.”

Caution 1: Was this truly a citizen desire or a staff-initiated idea? Beware of misrepresentation.

Caution 2: This is the traditional interpretation of “Neighborhood Business.” Historically, it was a shop(s), where the business owner or a few residents might live above.

The residential use was the secondary use and providing some useful goods and services to the neighbors remained the primary use.

Somehow, “Neighborhood Business” has became misconstrued. For example, the Potala Village proposal on a Neighborhood Business property was approved by the Comprehensive Plan process as “lowest intensity use.”

Does the project meet any of the restrictions for this “limited” commercial use? According to the Comprehensive Plan, one of the restrictions for that property is an “individual store, or a very small mixed-use building.” No, the project doesn’t meet that restriction.

The Comprehensive Plan also states a property in that zone should focus on local pedestrian traffic; residential scale and design are critical within that zone; uses may include corner grocery stores; integrate these uses into the local neighborhood; and can include small service businesses (social service outlets and daycares). No, the project does not meet those restrictions.

If the small stores with apartments above are considered, one must think forward to how this concept has been misapplied in the current situation.

Ask the city to show that this has been a citizen-raised issue, or ask them to properly state that this is being proposed by staff.

Ask the city to provide specific zoning limiting the bulk, lot coverage, height and the residential density allowed.

Somehow this zoning must allow for certain options for a developer, without the opportunity to maximize everything at once and thus create something that is 65 times bigger than the surrounding buildings, as is Potala.

Karen Levenson, Kirkland