Kirkland City Council candidates seeking Pos. 4 are incumbent Toby Nixon and community member David Schwartz.
How will you contend with increasing traffic problems in the city?
Toby Nixon: Kirkland’s ability to add lanes to arterial roads is limited due to the expense of acquiring right of way and of construction, although we are doing some of that particularly in the Totem Lake urban center where major development is being directed. We’re adding lanes to 100th Avenue Northeast. We’re adding right turn lanes, bus queue jumps, and other intersection improvements to address bottlenecks. We’ve improved the synchronization of traffic signals to keep traffic flowing, including centralized monitoring and control to allow traffic engineers to respond to temporary conditions. We’re working closely with Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and Sound Transit to ensure the new bus rapid transit station at 85th Street and I-405 meets the needs of Kirkland. We’ve advocated with King County Metro to increase transit service and improve the transit-riding experience such as adding shelters at bus stops. We continue to improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists by adding sidewalks, streetlights, flashing beacons, greenways, protected bike lanes, and separated bike paths so more people feel comfortable choosing those modes of travel. And we’re working to add more affordable housing in Kirkland and expand job opportunities in Kirkland so people can both live and work here instead of having to commute long distances every day.
David Schwartz: Kirkland needs to add road capacity for more vehicles. There is no other solution. More people will bring more cars. Cars will continue to be the most used form of transportation.
How do you intend to help keep long-time low/fixed income residents living in Kirkland?
Nixon: The booming economy and job expansion in the central Puget Sound area have brought with them a high demand for housing which has driven up both real estate prices and rents. Increasing property values, particularly relative to other areas of King County, have resulted in higher property taxes. We’ve advocated with the legislature for property tax exemptions and deferrals to help those with limited means. We’ve established a requirement that 10 percent of new multi-family units must be affordable to people making 80 percent or less of median income. We’ve pioneered innovative housing models such as accessory dwelling units, cottage housing, and residential suites. I believe that if we allow the market to work that the affordable housing we need will be built to fill the demand — but we need to stop imposing so many regulations that drive up housing costs.
Schwartz: Accessory dwelling units (ADU) can help keep long-time low/fixed income residents living in Kirkland. The ADU proposal working its way through the planning process is good, although, maybe not the boldest version of the proposal. Most residents have commented to show their support for ADUs. I support it, too.
How will you be inclusive of un-housed residents in the city?
Nixon: Kirkland, Bellevue, and Redmond are collaborating on establishing permanent 24-hour year-round shelters; the Kirkland shelter for women and families will open next summer. The city’s grants to human services nonprofits for 2019-20 are targeted at keeping people housed (eviction avoidance) and helping them to be quickly rehoused; I personally serve on the board of directors of one of the nonprofits that provides those services. The city also supports programs to help people overcome the challenges that can lead to homelessness such as mental illness, substance abuse, and domestic violence. Our goal is to get people the help they need to quickly get back on their feet and into a stable situation with safe and comfortable housing. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts to offer help, a few people reject such offers and resist complying with societal norms. If any individual (housed or not) persists, after multiple offers of help and warnings, to engage in behavior that is unsafe or illegal, such as obstructing sidewalks, denying park use to other patrons, camping on public property, assaulting other people, disrupting traffic, or criminal activity, our police are empowered to act to protect public safety and order.
Schwartz: I don’t have any proposals for homelessness. I need to learn more about this subject.
How do you intend to find a balance between development and maintaining the city’s identity?
Nixon: What I hear most is that people don’t want Kirkland to become “another Bellevue,” that they want to preserve our historic downtown core, and that they want to protect the character of our single-family neighborhoods. The city’s comprehensive plan recognizes these values. But under Washington’s Growth Management Act, the state and county establish growth projections and allocate a portion of the expected regional growth to each city, including Kirkland. We can’t “just say no” to these allocations, and are legally required to establish zoning to allow development of our share of projected future housing units and jobs. We’ve been able to accomplish this by directing most growth into existing commercial areas by allowing for mixed use — retail on the first floor with apartments above. We allow accessory dwelling units in single-family residential areas, and are looking at how to allow duplex and triplexes in selected areas while preserving the single-family feel. We’re updating the city tree code to try to keep Kirkland as green as possible while permitting the development needed to meet the requirements of state law. Everybody who moves to Kirkland believes it was perfect when they moved here, and most people don’t like change, but the fact is that change is inevitable. We need to figure out how to accommodate growth and change while maintaining the vision of Kirkland as “one of the most livable cities in America,” “a vibrant, attractive, green and welcoming place to live, work and play,” and “a model, sustainable city that values preserving and enhancing our natural environment for our enjoyment and future generations.” I am firmly committed to that vision.
Schwartz: Focus high-density development in specific areas. As much as possible, do not disturb the single-family neighborhoods. Listen to residents and act on their suggestions.
The general election is Nov. 5.
