LETTERS

Parkplace concerns ignored

The Kirkland City Council recently voted to approve Touchstone Development Corporations’ plan to re-develop Kirkland Parkplace. The project will include multiple eight-story buildings totaling 1.8 million square feet, the same square footage of Redmond Town Center, but on less land.

The council received some 1500 letters opposing the project and citing concerns about insufficient parking, traffic gridlock, impacts on neighboring businesses and residences, and heights in excess of Kirkland’s Comprehensive Plan. Council members Greenway, Asher, Hodgson and Mayor Lauinger all stated that these concerns were valid and had raised doubts for them, too. Apparently, those doubts evaporated in a moment of temporary insanity when the council unanimously approved the project, completely ignoring the interests, comments and concerns of the citizens of Kirkland.

There was no explanation why the council didn’t modify this plan, no grand statements of how the project will benefit Kirkland, just a unanimous “yes” to opening the doors to a bad plan that Kirkland will have to live with long after Touchstone packs their bags and goes on to their next project. And it opens the project for appeals and lawsuits that could have been avoided.

This action is another example of the lack of leadership in our city government. It’s time for change in our city council and our city manager. I will remember this come the next city election, and I hope those whose letters and concerns have been ignored will do the same.

Cindy Smith, Kirkland

Kingsgate jail site not viable

Since recently discovering that a property in the Kingsgate neighborhood was being considered as a possible site for a 640-bed jail facility, several members of the nearby residential community have become concerned. At a crowded public meeting Dec. 10, virtually everybody in attendance agreed that a jail facility at 3225 Northeast 126th Place (unincorporated King County) is unacceptable.

The proposed facility is to accommodate misdemeanor offenders for the Eastside cities and the City of Seattle. The idea of concentrating this group from a large urban area in an established community is ludicrous. No matter how many of the participating cities budgets may be trimmed on a cost per day, per bed basis, the social impact needs to be the principal factor in meeting these needs.

Also, the land on the north side of Northeast 126th Place is designated for multi-family use. A jail facility is not an appropriate land use.

In addition, police service in King County is almost nonexistent. Placing a revolving population of up to 640 criminals in a community little police service is ludicrous.

Streets in the area are also inadequate to accommodate additional use.

Quite simply, the responsible thing to do is for King County and the NECC to take action to remove the Northeast 126th Place site from further consideration as a jail site. It is irresponsible to continue spending taxpayer money on environmental impact studies when this property is not a viable candidate. It should never have been added in the first place.

Katherine McLean, Kingsgate