The City of Kirkland has received a temporary use application from Lake Washington United Methodist Church and SHARE/WHEEL to relocate Tent City 4 to church property beginning Saturday, April 24.

As part of the application process, the church, as host to TC4, will hold a public informational meeting at 7 p.m. March 30 at LWUMC. City representatives will be present to answer permitting and public safety questions For more information, visit www.ci.kirkland.wa.us/tentcity or call the Planning & Community Development Department at 425-587-3225.

The city will mail property owners within 500 feet of the church property the notice of the application and notice of the decision of the city’s planning director regarding the permit application. City zoning regulations provide for temporary uses of land, including homeless encampments, when certain standards are met. If approved, the encampment may locate within the city for no more than 92 days and may not relocate to the same church for 12 months.

In 2006, the city adopted zoning regulations specific to homeless encampments which require, among other standards, sight-obscuring perimeter fencing (unless there is sufficient vegetation, topographic variation or other site condition such that fencing would not be needed), setbacks from adjoining residential properties and transit service to be located within one-half mile. Additionally, a code of conduct must be imposed on encampment residents, public health inspections must be allowed, and the maximum number of residents is 100. The zoning regulations provide for an administrative review by the planning director.

For more information about LWUMC’s application, contact Sean LeRoy, Planning & Community Development Department at 425-587-3260.