Moss Bay Neighborhood Association

We opened the meeting with a moment of silence to honor veterans.

Kirkland Urban Update
Bill Leedom, the Director of Investments at Talon Private Capital, gave us an update on Kirkland Urban:

• "Urban North", the building in the first phase, will be turned over from the contractor to the tenants on November 14th. Tableau will occupy the top 3 floors and are expected to complete the interior of their space around March 2019.
• Talon is not able to disclose the names of other tenants, but we can surmise from news articles that Google is the second tenant that will occupy the remaining office space at the Kirkland Urban complex.
• The QFC is expected to open in their new location in May or June of 2019. It will be a flagship location with a large format that includes a Starbucks inside.
• Retail, restaurant and services tenants are expected to begin opening for business in late summer of 2019. Food tenants will include a bakery, fast-casual restaurant, burger chain, local coffee shop, a salad place, Chinese dumplings, cocktail bar, and a restaurant that used to be in Parkplace will return. Additional food offerings may include a food hall with sushi, Mexican and "wellness drinks", and possibly a pizza restaurant. Other tenants are expected to be a fitness center, sports-simulation entertainment,  barbershop, pet store and clothing stores. 
• A luxury movie theater is not expected to open until 2021.
• Construction on "Urban South" will begin once QFC has moved into their new space. 
• Parking: there will be 1,150 stalls in the first phase and an additional 500 in the second phase. It will be one of the largest parking garages on the Eastside. The stalls are 6 inches wider than required. 24 electric car charging stations are planned. The parking is set up with a gate system in case there becomes an issue with people parking and then leaving to use the transit center. If deployed, visitors will be issued parking stubs to be validated with one of the retail/service tenants.
• 185 apartments are planned to open in May 2019 and an additional 175 in the second phase. 75% of them will be studio or one bedrooms with an average of 750 square feet. The rest are two bedroom and two-story townhomes. Per Kirkland City requirements, 10% of the units are set aside as affordable housing units. 

Hopelink
Tom Kreinbring shared information about Hopelink and new additions to the Turkey Trot fun run:

• Hopelink's mission is to promote self-sufficiency for all members of our community; we help people make lasting change. 
• Services offered include shelter housing, food assistance, emergency financial help, energy assistance for heating bills, adult education, family development, employment services and financial literacy. 
• You can help by volunteering, participating in food drives and making financial donations. 
• The 18th annual Turkey Trot will be on November 18th beginning at 8AM. In addition to the fun run, there will be a fair with booths and family-friendly activities. 

Crossing Kirkland 2019
The 3rd annual Crossing Kirkland community event will be held September 7, 2019. It will shrink from 6 to 3 locations to make it easier to visit all event stations along the Cross Kirkland Corridor. The leadership team is seeking volunteers for Station Captain roles. Email contact@mossbay.org if you are interested.

Developer Update

• The Bartell project at the Wendy's site has gone through Design Review Board approval and moving into the permitting process. They still need approval from the Planning Commission and City Council to determine plans for their rooftop space.
• Milagro Cantina, the TimeOut sports bar and The Slip have closed. We have word that The Slip will reopen in the spring of 2019.
  
• The development planned for the Petco location on NE 85th Street has pushed out their design review until December because of changes with their expected gym tenant.
  

Bike Sharing in Kirkland
Assistant City Manager Jim Lopez presented information about the potential for regulated bike-sharing in Kirkland. We already have Lime bikes in Kirkland because they are established in neighboring towns. The City is determining whether to formally regulate Lime bikes in a pilot program to exert some control over the ability to move bikes causing clutter and other concerns. 

If the pilot program moves forward, there is not expected to be a cost to the City; in fact it may generate revenue. If there were costs, they would be for government-subsidized docking stations, which is not part of the pilot plan. Another option is to paint white-striped areas designated for parking bikes. If approved, the bikes are expected to be an all-electric fleet (pedaling takes less effort).

City Council is actively seeking resident input:

• Those who attended the Moss Bay meeting had an opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback to Jim and City staff in-person, as well as filling out a paper survey.
• A community input event is planned for December 6th at City Hall.
  
• You can go to www.kirklandwa.gov and search for Bike Share Pilot program to learn more and provide feedback.
  

Off-Leash Dog Areas
Jim Lopez led us through a discussion on the possibility of expanding off-leash dog areas. By City law, only the Ethan Moulton Park's fenced-in dog trail and Jasper Park allow dogs off-leash. The City is considering options that include creating additional off-leash locations and/or having designated hours for pets to be off-leash in certain areas of parks.

The City now has an animal control officer that provides enforcement. The current enforcement policy is:

• First offense: educate
• Second offense: warn
  
• Third offense: $25 ticket
  
• Ticket fines double with each subsequent offense
  

City Council is seeking resident input:

• Those who attended the Moss Bay meeting provided verbal feedback and had the opportunity to fill out paper surveys.
• You can provide additional feedback at www.kirklandwa.gov/offleashdogs 
  

Tony Leavitt, Senior Planner with City of Kirkland provided information about two development projects near and in our neighborhood:

1. Rosehill mixed use project at the Petco/Outback site on NE 85th St.
   1. The developer is Madison Development. Currently the developer hasn’t been able to acquire the U-haul site, but the proposed development area does include half of the Costco site’s parking lot.
   2. 770 apartment units are planned in 4 buildings 4-5 stories tall, with ground floor retail. They will provide 10% affordable housing units per City requirements. 200,000 square feet of commercial space is planned, including a large health club, a drugstore and a grocery store.
   3. The project is designed in part to take advantage of the new Bus Rapid Transit being developed nearby NE 85th St.
   4. Next steps:
      1. The first design review board meeting was last week. October 15th will be the next design review board; it is expected to take to the end of 2018. There will be a traffic review to study impacts.
      2. The developer is proposing code amendments to allow rooftop amenities, and also to reduce lot line requirements.
2. 312 Central Project where Wendy’s is located:
   1. The project was approved in the design review in July.
   2. The four-story development will include about 70 apartment units, a 12,000 square foot Bartell drugstore and 5,500 square feet for restaurant space.
   3. Next steps:
      1. A code amendment was requested for rooftop amenities.
      2. If the design and approval process is successful, construction is likely to start in the spring or summer of 2019.
3. If you are interested in learning more about code amendments and potential rezoning, you can attend the Planning Commission meeting on September 13th. You can also learn more on the City’s Planning Commission site and on the Planning Department site.

Kurt Triplett, City Manager, delivered an informational presentation on the community safety ballot measure to be voted on during the November 2018 general election:

1. City staff is able to give us informational presentations but not direct residents in voting in favor or against the measure.
2. Planned growth in Kirkland is occurring at a faster pace than expected and revenues will be outpaced by costs and inflation beginning 2023. Services (including Parks) and programs will be cut unless additional budget is raised.
3. During the budgeting process, the City asks residents to take a survey to rate the priority of City services, and to rate how well the City performs those services. Emergency services rate at the top in both priority and satisfaction. There have been multiple outreach efforts to understand resident priorities and also what tax methods would be supported (soda tax, property tax, business tax, sales tax). A sales tax was the preferred choice.
4. Public safety concerns:
   1. One area that the City struggles to keep up with is organized shoplifting and property crimes, and public safety challenges with mental illness and suicide, drug addiction, homelessness and domestic violence.
   2. School safety is another area that residents have asked the City and School Board to address.
5. If passed, the measure would support:
   1. Half a resource officer in schools (the other half paid for by Lake WA School district).
   2. A ProAct police unit of 4 officers and 1 support staff position.
   3. Adding a mental health professional with a neighborhood resource officer.
   4. $100,000 for ongoing management of the Women and Family shelter in process.
   5. Education program of $100,000 per year on gun safety and to possibly help people acquire gun safes.
6. The measure would increase sales tax rate by 0.1 percent, which is the equivalent of $0.01 (one cent) per $10.

Bea Nahon shared an update:

1. Kirkland Urban developers will come to our November meeting to share an update on their timeline and tenants.
2. The Chief of Police will talk about the Community Safety Ballot measure at the next KAN (Kirkland Alliance of Neighborhoods) meeting, this Wednesday, 7 PM at City Hall if you would like her perspective.
3. There is a “pro” ballot measure organization called Safer Kirkland. We are not aware of an opposing organization.

Amanda Judd gave a Crossing Kirkland recap:

1. There were 6 stations along the corridor sponsored by different neighborhood associations. There were live music performances, food trucks, and activities for kids.
2. Moss Bay had station #1 next to Google, and it was the most attended. We averaged about 125 attendees every hour. A big shout out and thanks to Amanda for managing our neighborhood presence at this fun event!
3. Planning for the 2019 event will start in March. We will ask for help planning and volunteering. 

Neighborhood Safety Program:

1. As in past years, we can submit up to two projects that enhance safety within the Moss Bay neighborhood area. Projects must cost less than $50,000 each. Learn more at the Neighborhood Safety Program site.
2. Project ideas must be submitted to the Capital Improvements Projects tool by September 30th. In recent years, successfully funded projects have increased safety for large numbers of residents and either improved pedestrian/bike safety with measures to slow traffic or improve walkways. Adding/improving connection points to the Cross Kirkland Corridor have also been successful.
3. If you are interested in being our neighborhood’s representative for this process, email contact@mossbay.org for more information.

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1. Kirkland Safe

• Leah Kliger and Paula White gave a presentation about Kirkland Safe, which spearheaded the effort to have Kirkland declare itself an inclusive city.
• You are welcome to join their meetings on the second Tuesday of every month. There are additional community events and activities that residents are encouraged to join.
• For more information and to participate, visit www.kirklandsafe.org

2. Central Way Development 

• Mark Craig and Anthony Jansen gave a presentation about the company’s history and plans for Central way.
• This was originally the George Henry Bartell company, and has been in business since the early 1900’s. They work for the Bartell company in a separate activity from the drugstore chain.
• Henbart Development is redeveloping the site at 312 Central Way, where Wendy’s is currently located. The project includes the alley behind the existing building, which will be redeveloped for traffic.
• The plan is to build a Bartell drugstore on the site, although it isn’t confirmed at this time. There will be additional retail space on the site. They will develop two levels of underground parking. They are tentatively planning for 70 apartments built on top of the retail.
• In the next month or so, the City will respond to their initial design. They estimate that it will be a year before they can break ground.

3. Kirkland’s Housing Strategy update

• Dawn Nelson, Planning Supervisor with the City of Kirkland provided information about the City’s Housing Strategy Plan.
• The City has had a Housing Strategy plan for about the last 20-25 years. It identifies priority issues for the City to address local housing goals and policies. For the last year, an advisory group made up of residents and stakeholders from businesses, education and the faith community has been meeting to help identify strategies that address these goals and policies.
• The updated plan is intended to provide guidance for the next 3-5 years.
• Over the year, the group sought community feedback through surveys, a workshop for Kirkland residents and focus groups.
• The outcome of the group’s work was a set of strategies that were presented to the City Council on March 6, 2018. Ultimately City Council will decide on the recommendations and they will be added to the City’s work plan.
• The three categories of strategies that the group identified are:
  1. Neighborhood Quality
  2. Expanded Housing Choices
  3. Housing Affordability
• For more information about the Housing Strategy, visit the City’s Housing Strategy Plan Advisory Group webpage.   

4. Human Services Commission

• Leslie Miller, the Human Services Administrator for the City of Kirkland, gave a presentation about the Human Services Commission and the grants that available for organizations with relevant missions.
• The Human Services area of focus are:
  • Food to eat and a roof overhead.
  • Supportive relationships within families, neighborhoods, and communities.
  • A safe haven from all forms of violence or abuse.
  • Health care to be as physically and mentally fit as possible.
  • Education and job skills to lead an independent life.
• The City participates in regional initiatives for human services as well as at the City level.
• There is an advisory Human Services Commission made up of 7 adults and 1 youth representative. They meet monthly and will determine the grant recipients.
• The 2019 – 2020 grant process is shared among 17 regional cities. This creates a more efficient process for non-profits who need to submit grant requests to multiple cities: now the non-profits can submit one grant application and check a box to request which cities they would like to consider their grants.
• Approximately $950,000 is available across the participating cities for agencies that provide services. The process can be found on the City’s website. Applications are due April 10, 2018.
• Residents can reach out to City Council directly or the Human Services Commission if they would like the City to take into consideration a particular area of focus.

5. Kirkland Police

• Captain St. Jean, who has been with the department for about 20 years, gave a presentation and answered questions.
• There are about 60 patrol officers and 100 officers in total. Kirkland hired 17 new officers in 2017 and are now fully staffed. Budget has been approved for two officers for “pro-act”, which is a proactive regional approach to property crimes. There is a detective assigned to the US Secret Service. He helps work on digital crime and fraud. By May 1st, two officers will be on traffic patrol on motorcycles.
• Crime update:
  • 1,100 reports have been filed using the online reporting tool since it started a year ago.
  • In Moss Bay, in the last 3 months, there were 52 crimes. Most are shoplifting theft in businesses in downtown Kirkland. Downtown also has more DUI’s than some other neighborhood because of the concentration of bars and restaurants.
  • You can go to crime mapping on the City’s website to look up police activity or trends.
  • You can report crime online for non-emergencies.
  • Violent crime has decreased in the last few years. Rape, robberies, assault, residential burglaries are all down.
  • What is increasing is motor vehicle theft and prowls. Stolen cars are often found in Everett or Auburn, and vehicles stolen from those areas can be found in Kirkland; thieves are using get between these cities. To try to combat this and other crime, the police request that citizens:
    • Don’t leave purses or laptops in cars, even if exiting the vehicle for just a moment.
    • Trust your gut if something or someone seems suspicious that help with property crimes.
    • For package theft: recommendations include having them delivered to your work or Amazon’s lockers, or use one of the lockbox products.
    • If you see needles in the parks, call 911, don’t touch it, and stay nearby so other people don’t accidentally get pricked by a needle.
  • Crime on the Cross Kirkland Corridor has been very low. They have two ATVs to patrol.
  • A question was asked about whether the rumors of the Kirkland library parking is unsafe – we hear that there is drug dealing. Captain St. Jean said they do extra patrols there and that the City Council is considering adding lighting and taking other measures to make people feel safer, such as replacing the cameras.

6. Neighborhood Safety Program

• We have one project submitted: adding a crosswalk at Marina Park’s north side. We will find out whether this project is funded by the April 17, 2018 City Council meeting.

1.       Short-term Rental Ordinance

• Michael Olsen of Kirkland's Finance and Administration Department provided an update on the new ordinance, which mainly applies to Aibnb and vacation rentals.
• Key requirements for property owners include both City and State business licenses and paying State lodging tax.
• The City is enforcing the policy mainly by responding to complaints, but they may contract with a vendor or use software. The City mails letters to people out of compliance and if they continue to violate the rules, it is a misdemeanor crime.
• Bed and Breakfast rules for parking apply for short-term rentals, which is one parking stall per room rented.
• Details can be found on the City’s website here.

2.       David Wolbrecht is Kirkland’s Neighborhood Services Outreach Coordinator

• His primary role is to act as a liaison between the City and the Neighborhood Associations. This includes communicating City happenings and policies to the Associations and to other community or religious organizations.
• He produces the “This Week in Kirkland” email newsletter that you can subscribe to here.

3.       Animal Services

• The City stopped contracting with King County for animal licensing, shelters, and animal control and is now managing this directly.
• Dogs and cats are required to be licensed. We have a new dedicated Animal Control Officer that can help with nuisance complaints. The program resides with the police department. The Officer is Jennifer Madison at 425-577-7656. Email animalcontral@kirklandwa.gov.

4.       Parks

• The dock at Marina Park will be closed for about 6 weeks while underwater repairs are made. More information can be found here.
• Edith Moulton Park will be closed until July for extensive renovations and improvements. More information can be found on the Edith Moulton Park webpage.

5.       Moss Bay's Neighborhood Safety Program projects and Matching Grant program

• Two projects have been submitted to the 2018 Neighborhood Safety Program: a crosswalk at Marina Park and improving a trail connecting the Cross Kirkland Corridor to 5th Ave/10th St. Aimee Voelz is participating in the grant process and will keep you updated.
• We had applied for a matching grant to install a sign at Marina Park. After working with the City’s Parks Department and getting bids from vendors, we unfortunately determined that the project isn’t feasible. However, we’ve learned that the City will eventually install a Marina Park sign on their own, within the next few years.

6.       Developer activity:

• SRM: the planned traffic signals on 6th Ave S and 9th and at Kirkland Way were paid for by SRM in 2014 but will be installed by the City. There were delays in part because the City needed to acquire private property to accommodate buses turning the corners at these intersections.
• At 3rd and Central where Wendy’s is located, a design has been submitted for 80 housing units and a 17,000 square foot Bartell’s.
• Park Lane apartments are anticipated 128 units and 13,000 square foot of commercial are anticipated being done in the Spring. We don’t know who the retailers will be yet.
• Aegis will go in the former Potala Village site – it has been approved in the design phase by the City.
• The Olympic building where the Christmas Store and Haute Dog store 40 townhome units and some commercial space.

7.       Sign Regulations

• The City has received many complaints about the existing sign code. A hearing will be held on January 11th at 7PM at City Hall to solicit feedback on amendments to the current code. You may also email comments to jregala@kirklandwa.gov (reference File No. CAM17-00419 and include your name, mailing address and email address).
• One proposed amendment is to allow A-frame signs and other temporary signs. You can read the existing Temporary Sign code here.

8.       Transportation Update

• a.       Bus route 255, our direct route to downtown Seattle, will eventually be routed to the UW station. This was originally planned for Fall 2018 but the route will remain as-is until at least March 2019.
• b.       City Council has added bus queue jumps on 6th and 108th to the unfunded Capital program. If funding is secured, this change would allow Northbound buses to bypass cars waiting at traffic lights so they aren’t delayed by congestion.

9.       KAN is meeting on Wednesday at City Hall and a key topic will be the sign ordinance. 

It was great to see a big turnout for our City Council Candidates Forum. The entire agenda was dedicated to the event. 

​We started the evening with a moment of silence to remember the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. We then heard a short talk from each candidate, followed by candidates each answering one question submitted by Moss Bay neighbors. We concluded with time for candidates and residents to mingle.

​Penny Sweet was unable to make it and provided a statement that was read during the forum. Candidates in attendance were:

• ​Position 1: Jay Arnold
• ​Position 1: Martin Morgan
• Position 2: Tom Neir
• Position 5: Amy Walen
• Position 6: Jon Pascal
• Position 6: Uzma Butte

​Our next meeting will be November 13, 2017, at 7pm at Heritage Hall. 

King County Metro Update from Julie Paone, Transportation Planner at King County Metro

• This project is a partnership between King County Metro and Sound Transit.
• The objectives are to improve service to and from the Eastside along 520 and the UW station, integrate bus and link rail connections, find solutions for congestion, and keep the public informed Multiple route change options are being considered. The 255 bus that currently goes directly from Kirkland to Westlake will potentially require a transfer at the UW station.
• Input will be requested for draft proposals, including a town hall meeting in Kirkland in June 2017.
• Provide feedback and learn more now at http://kingcounty.gov/depts/transportation/metro/programs-projects/link-connections/sr-520.aspx

Totem Lake Development update from Kirkland’s Planning Department

• Scott Guter provided an update on the Village at Totem Lake will have about 360,000 square feet of retail and 650 residential units. This is the area that was the upper and lower Totem Lake Mall.
• The Totem Lake area is considered an Urban Village, where growth is concentrated for retail, office, and residential space – about 3,250 housing units in the next two years.
• Aaron McDonald is working on projects that provide better connections to the Cross Kirkland Corridor at Totem Lake.
• The Totem Lake Connector is the new bridge planned over 124th and Totem Lake Blvd. The design will be chosen from 4 options in June 2017. The current budget is $13M. For more information and opportunities to provide feedback, go to http://www.kirklandwa.gov/depart/Public_Works/Construction_Projects/Capital_Improvements/Totem_Lake_Connector.htm

For the Love of Kirkland event
In January, Kirkland hosted a popular event that generated inspiring ideas for developing community connections. A group of attendees have planned a community-building event called Crossing Kirkland that will take place on September 9, 2017. They are envisioning stations for food and activities set up at different points along the CKC, hosted by each neighborhood association. Sign up to volunteer at http://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080d4fa9a729a6fe3-project

Update on matching grant project

• In January, we voted to use our matching grant funds for a sign in Marina Park. The City and Parks Department have approved an artistic metalwork sign to be located on the side of the concrete lift station in the LakeShore Plaza. Although we considered a different type of sign that are often seen around Kirkland parks, there is not enough money in the matching grant funds to pursue it.
• We asked participants to vote on moving forward with the metal sign or halting the project. The majority of participants voted to continue moving forward with this sign project.

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Officer elections

• We appreciate Dan Ryan’s service as Chair of the Moss Bay Neighborhood Association in the past year, and are sorry to see him step down.
• We voted on a new slate of board members: Chair – Aimee Voelz, Co-Chair – Bea Nahon, Treasurer – Leslie Keller, Secretary – Amanda Judd

Future agenda topics and summer social meeting

• Suggested topics for the future include City Council candidates and parking issues. If you have topic or speakers you’d like at future meetings, email contact@mossbay.org.
• There is interest in a summer social gathering since we don’t have a regular meeting in July. Watch for details.

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NORCOM – 911 Dispatch Information
 
Jeremy Henshaw, Acting Supervisor of NORCOM (North East King County Regional Public Safety Communication Agency), explained how the 911 dispatch system for police and fire departments operates. NORCOM answers both 911 and non-emergency numbers for Kirkland and other East King County cities. NORCOM answers both lines as 911, asking each caller if it is an emergency, and responds accordingly.
 
If you call from a landline, the contact information associated with the number is captured. Cellphone calls don’t automatically provide NORCOM with addresses, and they are trained to help quickly identify where to send help if you don’t know your precise location.
 
If you wish to remain anonymous, immediately tell NORCOM when you are connected. Once they ask your name, it becomes part of the record. They can make a note in the system that you want to be anonymous.
 
King County has some of the quickest response rates for medical emergencies. The survival rate for heart attacks is about 65% compared to other parts of the country with rates as low as 5%. Other agencies visit NORCOM for training due to their outstanding response times.
 
Jon Pascal – Newest City Council Member
 
John was appointed to the council to replace Shelley Kloba, who stepped down after her election to the state Legislature. His appointment lasts until the November 2017 elections, which he will participate in to keep his seat. He is Chair of the Public Works, Parks, and Human Services Commission.
 
John’s previous experience with the City includes serving as a transportation commissioner, a planning commissioner, as the Chair of the Finn Hill Neighborhood Alliance, and on KAN’s board (Kirkland Alliance of Neighborhoods).
 
As a Council Member, his priorities include:

• Providing better transportation options, including roads, the CKC, and small neighborhood transportation projects.
• Investing in parks and public spaces. One example is increasing the availability of all-season sports fields.
• Enhancing public safety services. As Kirkland grows, houses that are built closer together increase the risk fires spreading from one dwelling to the next, and increasingly tall buildings present different challenges.  

 
Houghton Everest Neighborhood Center and 6th Street Corridor
 
Lisa McConnell provided information about Houghton and Everest plans and City zoning. In 2009, the Houghton neighborhood began updating their neighborhood plan, including the business center. Since both Houghton and Everest span the business district, they joined together to ensure consistency.
 
Currently the Neighborhood plan and Kirkland’s zoning for the area don’t match. Current City zoning only allows two stories for businesses. The neighborhood plan allows three to five stories. One of the largest factors is how to reconcile the two plans, but there are also many decisions that can be made during this process, including setbacks, design reviews, and density.
 
More information can be found on Kirkland’s webpage for the project. If you have feedback or questions, you are encouraged to attend a community Open House at 6pm on March 23, at City Hall. At 7pm, a joint Public Hearing will take place with the Planning Commission and Houghton Community Council.
 
Transit Plans
 
The Transit Route 255 in Kirkland (along with other Eastside routes) will stop at the UW station starting in the autumn of 2018 instead of going directly to downtown Seattle. There will be an Open House in Kirkland about changes to transit. March 28, 2017, 6 – 8pm at Kirkland City Hall. You can find out more and take an online survey on King County’s Metro website.
 
For the Love of Kirkland Projects
 
To sign up to participate in the community projects proposed at the For the Love of Kirkland event, visit http://www.kirklandkan.org/resources.html.
 
Matching Grant Volunteer Hours
 
Moss Bay is eligible for up to $3,266 in matching grant funds from the City, which we voted to put towards a sign at Marina Park. To earn the grant, we need to complete 138 volunteer hours.
 
Any hours Moss Bay residents volunteered since January 1, 2017 count, and we want to capture them all! Email contact@mossbay.org with your name, date and description of activity, and hours volunteered.
 
For future qualifying activities:

• Visit Kirkland’s Volunteer Opportunities webpage for projects that include parks and green spaces and public safety.
• Many of our favorite volunteer opportunities are sponsored by the Kirkland Downtown Association and include the Wednesday Market, Celebrate Kirkland 4th of July, Summerfest – and more.

 
Kirkland Senior Council and Resource Guide
 
Syd Mack told us about the Kirkland’s Senior Council, which meets monthly and advocates for senior residents. One of their activities is an Art Show for creative works by residents age 50 or better, which is hosted annually at Merrill Gardens.
 
The Senior Council publishes a guide with all types of resources seniors may need, including housing, medical, emergency information, legal resources, transportation and more. Physical copies of the guide can be picked up at PCC or made available to you upon request. An online version is continuously updated on the Senior Council website.

Moss Bay Meeting Notes – January 9, 2017 
Update on Affordable Housing from Kurt Triplett, Kirkland City Manager
Kirkland’s City Council has prioritized Affordable Housing as a top issue for 2017, and the related transportation issues that come with it. People who work in Kirkland but can’t afford to live here are frequently commuting in single passenger cars because there aren’t practical bus routes. One aspect of Sound Transit 3 that impacts Kirkland is the Rapid bus ride from Everett to Burien, which will be implemented by 2024.
​
Kirkland is addressing affordable housing in multiple ways, including:

• Building requirements - Kirkland requires that 10% of new multi-family dwellings are reserved for affordable housing. People earning 80% or less of the median income of King County qualify.
• Housing coalition participation - Kirkland participates in ARCH (A Regional Coalition for Housing), and increased its annual contribution to ARCH from $315,000 to $400,000.
• Appealing to state government - Kirkland is working with the state legislature to approve new funding sources for affordable housing.
• Shelters - The former Trinity Lutheran site has been identified as a potential Women and Family Shelter for the homeless, with 50 spaces for single women and 50 spaces for women and their children. Kirkland set aside $850,000 with a goal of completing the project by 2018. Simultaneously, Bellevue City Council is attempting to build a shelter for homeless men.
• Task force - If City Council approves a plan to create an affordable housing task force, they will reach out to the community to for input and to solicit participation. Look for an update in February.

Update from Bill Leedom, Talon Development for Kirkland Urban
Phase One is currently in development. It includes 185 apartment units, 402,000 square feet of office space, 1,700 parking spaces, 92,000 square feet of new retail space. Tenants:

• 50,000 square foot QFC with free, dedicated parking stalls above ground and in the garage
• Bright Horizons childcare
• Wave and Tableau office tenants
• Health club (name to be announced)
• Restaurant types with leases signed: Sushi, Mexican, Italian, Burger, Salad, coffee shop (names to be announced in an upcoming press release)
• Bank (name to be announced)

Phase Two will include a cinema with apartments above it. Phase Three is planned to include office and retail space. Visit the www.kirklandurban.com website for updates and the live webcam, where you can watch construction in progress.

Neighborhood Matching Grant
We voted to apply for Kirkland’s 2017/2018 Matching Grant program and to use the funds to build a kiosk at Marina Park that highlights Moss Bay’s history. For example, explaining the ferry schedule and clock. If funds are left over, we will donate them to Kirklands 4th of July celebration.

The city allocates funds to neighborhoods based on population. Up to $3,266 is available to Moss Bay. To earn the funds, residents must either donate cash that is matched dollar-to-dollar, or contribute volunteer hours, that are valued at $21.79 per hour and must be logged and submitted to the city. Details about the Matching Grant program are on the city’s website here.

Aimee Voelz will complete the application due by January 31, 2017. If you want to participate in defining the kiosk project for the application, email contact@mossbay.org.

We will reach out to Moss Bay neighbors through these emails, our website, and Facebook page for help on volunteering projects and donations.

Developer activity Kirkland
The Potalla Village site is for sale. The maximum number of housing units is 58, and the current plan allows retail on the ground floor. Whoever purchases could build the existing plan, but is not required to.

42 multi-family housing projects are in the pipeline in Kirkland.

The development at the lower Totem Lake Mall is slated to open by the end of 2017.

The Antique Mall site is targeted for completion in May/June 2018.

KAN (Kirkland Alliance of Neighborhoods)
 The Kirkland Alliance of Neighborhoods and the City of Kirkland are excited to invite you to attend a free, three-hour Neighborhood Forum led by acclaimed community engagement expert Peter Kageyama, author of For the Love of Cities and Love Where You Live. The event, called “For the Love of Kirkland,” will be held Monday, January 23 from 5:30 to 8:45 pm at Google. Dinner will be catered by Deru. Space is limited, so please RSVP right away.
RSVP here: https://loveofkirkland.eventbrite.com
 
Our next meeting is March 13, 2017.

Claudia Balducci, King County Councilmember for the 6th District
King County provides our justice system, transportation, community health, and natural resources for the region.

ST3 passed during elections, and will include 116 miles of light rail in total, once complete. Currently working on Metro’s long range plan with better connections and faster commutes. The Bellevue part of the Eastside Rail Corridor will begin development that connects the Cross Kirkland Corridor through the Wilburton tunnel, and eventually to Renton.
2015/2016 General budget is $1.5M. The large sources of budget comes from property tax and  sales tax. Almost 75% is dedicated to public safety. We currently have a $400M shortfall to maintain roads and bridges.

Kelly Rider, Housing Development Consortium (HDC) Government Relations and Policy Director
She will talk to us about the current state of affordable housing on the Eastside and the role of ARCH Eastside Housing's Trust Fund.

HDC has 130 members from non-profit, for profit, and government agencies – including ARCH – all focusing on affordable housing. HDC is focused on low income residents. The federal definition of affordable is 30% of income or less for housing; 50% of income or more towards housing is considered burdened. In 2016, the area medium income in King County for a four person household is $90,000. HDC focuses on people earning 60% or less of the area medium income.

ARCH is a government agency that administers affordable housing units, funding, and programs. Cities on the Eastside contribute a budget line item to ARCH’s trust fund. HDC advocates for affordable housing, and for cities to increase their contributions to ARCH. At its inception in the 1990’s, ARCH asked Eastside cities to contribute a total of $1M - $2M annually. That hasn’t increased since. HDC’s goal is to increase funding to $6M per year.
  
Moss Bay's Neighborhood Safety Program and Neighborhood Grant
We submitted our top two voted projects to the Neighborhood Safety Program. A panel will evaluate the projects on January 10, 2017 based on cost, feasibility, and need. They submit the top ranked projects to the City Council to approve. Aimee will follow up on the Neighborhood Matching Grant program and how we can participate.

Developer activity in Moss Bay
Spring 2017 – 780 feet of water and sewer line will be replaced on 2nd St S and 3rd Ave S. The road will be closed except to emergency vehicles and local traffic.

Traffic signals will be added on 6th St S at Kirkland Way, and at and 9th Ave S. The work at 6h St S will begin in Spring 2017, and will have a major impact on traffic access during development.
If we notice damage to streets caused by developer activity, we can call the city and notify them. The city may require the developer to redo patches and other road work.

6th St S is slated to be repaved in about 3 years. It is longer than we’d like because heavy trucks will use that route for development activity at Kirkland Urban, and will add to the damage.
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KAN (Kirkland Alliance of Neighborhoods)
If anyone is interested in participating in the city’s the Sign Review process, reply to contact@mossbay.org.