Dear Editor,

The May 21 edition contained a powerful message on page 7 in the form of a CAD rendering of Touchstone’s eight-story proposal for Parkplace redevelopment as viewed from Peter Kirk Park. I would suggest that any reader who might have missed this picture take a look at it and decide if they really want our city to look like this. If we allow this departure from our comprehensive plan, there will be no stopping future developments of this type.

The same issue contained a letter criticizing the mayor and three council members for voting not to accept the Design Review Board’s recommendation on another development that would have required a variance from the comprehensive plan. I haven’t read a description of the Design Review Board’s function, but I would presume it to be to determine if these various proposals fall within the limits of the comprehensive plan and to assist the developers in making the necessary changes to bring their designs into compliance, if they do not.

If the Design Review Board simply rubber stamps all these designs to please the developers, and then passes them along to the City Council for approval, they’re not doing their job.

Thank goodness the City Council is.

Why don’t we just make it clear to all prospective developers that their proposals will have to meet the requirements of the comprehensive plan, which already contains plenty of allowance for development. This would be fairer to them, as well as to the people of Kirkland, and would eliminate all this repetitious upset.

~Greg Harris, Kirkland