For a 27th time, the public weighed in on plans to revitalize the Parkplace Shopping Center and continued a spirited discussion over the future vision of the downtown area at an Oct. 23 Planning Commission hearing.

An overflow crowd gathered at City Hall to hear nearly 50 people speak on the redevelopment plans.

Parkplace owners Touchstone Corp. have requested the City to amend zoning and planning codes to allow for an eight-story, 1.8 million square foot mixed-use redevelopment of the site.

In case the amendment is not approved, the developer also has a back-up plan to build a five-story office development on the site that conforms with city zoning regulations.

In opposition, a vocal group of residents called Citizens for Responsible Development in Kirkland (CRD) led by attorney Ken Davidson is pushing for a smaller mixed-use development. Their chief concern is with changing the city’s hard-won building-height restrictions, which they fear will open the door to increased development heights on a par with Bellevue.

Sitting before the dais in council chambers, a large model with dozens of white cubes and shapes gave the audience a rendering of the proposed Parkplace redevelopment and the surrounding downtown buildings.

Handling the Touchstone project for the city, senior planner Angela Ruggeri and supervisor Jeremy McMahan briefly introduced the plans and zoning changes needed to accommodate the redevelopment to the commissioners and the public.

Making the case for redevelopment, Touchstone Vice President A-P Hurd said developers had listened closely to resident concerns and read every letter sent to them. She cited the story of a former shipyard worker who remembered Kirkland as a walkable village that had all it needed in busy downtown shops, and said it could be again.

“I say it takes a village to be a community,” she said. “Kirkland will never again be a village, but it can be an urban village.”

At the end of the meeting, nearly twice the number of speakers spoke in support of Touchstone’s eight-story plan.

Cami Keyes, a CRD volunteer, said she thought her organization had contributed positively to the process so far. She credited the group with raising awareness over the size and scale of the design and seeming to win concessions after an environmental review supported their requests for increased set-backs and building heights along Peter Kirk Park.

“We’re hoping the developer will compromise more, but this is part of the process and the commissioners will make their decision,” she said. “We’ve got a petition with over 500 people now … opposed to an eight-story plan.”

The Planning Commission is still welcoming comments on the eight-story plan until Nov. 5. All additional comments can be made before the Planning Commission meeting Nov. 13. During the meeting, the Commission could decide on a recommendation for City Council.

Written comments by letter or e-mail should be submitted to City of Kirkland Senior Planner Angela Ruggeri at aruggeri@ci.kirkland.wa.us.

Kendall Watson can be reached at kwatson@kirklandreporter.com or 425-822-9166, ext. 5052.