The Kirkland City Council unanimously approved changes to the pay parking schedule for the city-owned Lakeshore lot at Marina Park, effective June 1.

“Lakeshore will have all-day paid parking,” City of Kirkland transportation manager Joel Pfundt said.

The changes were made to mimic the changes that have already been made to the Lake and Central lot in downtown Kirkland. For both lots, it will cost $1 per hour to park from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day, with the exception of Sundays and holidays. There will also be a four-hour limit and payments can be made via PayByPhone or at physical pay stations at both lots.

Currently, free parking with a three-hour limit from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. is in place in the Lakeshore lot, with payment of $1 per hour required from 5 to 9 p.m. The changes are being put in place partially to encourage downtown employees to park elsewhere, freeing up the space for customers.

Greater Kirkland Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Samantha St. John spoke in favor of the council’s decision at the May 16 meeting, saying downtown business owners were in support of the change.

Notices of the change are going out to local businesses this week, Pfundt said. When the new parking rules go into effect, there will be two weeks of warnings, with enforcement beginning June 16.

Pfundt said the benefits of the new pay parking regulations will include increased parking turnover and decreased confusion about when payment is required.

In addition to the Lakeshore lot, Pfundt said the new lot on Third Avenue between First and Second streets is scheduled to be complete June 21. Permits will be required to park there from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, but the lot will be free and open to the public on evenings and weekends.

For more information, visit kirklandwa.gov/ parking.

Fire Station 24

Also at the May 16 council meeting, Deputy City Manager Marilynne Beard gave an update on the acquisition of the property for Fire Station 24. The proposed site is located on Northeast 134th Street, where Rite Aid now stands, across the street from Juanita Elementary School.

The council unanimously voted to continue with the condemnation process for the site, versus looking into the option of co-location with Rite Aid.

Councilmember Penny Sweet said a business like Rite Aid is transferable, a sentiment with which many of her fellow councilmembers agreed.

“This will give us more flexibility to resolve families’ concerns (about the proximity to the elementary school),” Councilmember Toby Nixon said.

“We need to have that whole site for public use,” Mayor Amy Walen added.

As previously reported, the creation of the new station is part of the 2012 Kirkland Fire Department Strategic Plan, and the Kirkland City Council funded the project in the 2015-16 budget, setting aside $2.5 million to acquire the property and $11 million for the construction of the new station.

Beard said a hearing on the condemnation is scheduled for June 8.

More information about the proposed new station 24 can be found online at kirklandwa.gov by searching for “North Kirkland Fire Station.”