The city of Kirkland has a reputation for a labyrinthine permitting and zoning process.

I guess it must be well deserved when I observe the process in progress. Here’s a good example. The development at the old hardware/Albertsons site is about to begin with (of course) demolition of the old arch-top building. And, of course, the entire site will be soon cleared and excavated. And yet the trees in the center of the property are surrounded by protective fences to protect them from damage. The developer has to pay for the fencing and the enforcement of the tree protection rules when in the next moment those trees will be dealt with by a bulldozer!

All costs associated with this kind of weird thinking are eventually passed on to consumers in the form of higher rents and product prices.

Jim Hitter

Kirkland