Meeting Notes - June 2, 2003

Kirkland Library Meeting Room
Our new Co-Chair, Mark Masterson, called the meeting to order.  Laura Lee Pritt was not in attendance, but it was announced that she was not moving to Boston after all and would remain with the association.  Mark Masterson gave some background information on himself.  A former member of the Air Force, and now a retired Boeing employee, Mark volunteers his time for several local causes.

We discussed our meeting time and it was decided to continued meeting on the third Monday of the odd numbered months.  Our next meeting will be July 21.

Don Winters updated the group on the status of the Magnuson Park lighting issue.  Don mentioned that Mark Eliasen has been working on this issue for MBNA and has been in contact with Kirkland Parks Dept. members and City Council people.  Don also attended a meeting of the "Friends of Magnuson Park" on May 29 and reported on that.  Right now the focus is on challenging the Environmental Impact Statement for the Park.  Have other locations been explored?  Sinclair Jones of our group asked if the impact of the lighting on the Eastside had been properly addressed in the EIS and we will be looking into that.  Meanwhile, we are trying to get City of Kirkland officials to more actively question the wisdom of installing 11 ball fields lighted with 640 1000 watt lights on Kirkland's "front porch".  We will be working closely with the City of Kirkland and with Friends of Magnuson Park on this issue.  Our webmaster has created a new Magnuson Park Lighting Issue Page on the Moss Bay NA web site.

Kirkland's "Neighborhood Connections Program" and where the chosen projects stand was our next item.  Of the three options that won in the voting, it appears the flower pots for downtown will not be done, because there is no money in the parks budget to maintain them.  Glenn Peterson, our liaison with Kirkland Downtown on the Lake will look into this.  The other winning items, the sidewalk at Brink Park and the lights on the dock at Brink, will go forward.  We were asked what type of lights we would prefer in the park and decided the lower style of light (about 4 feet in height) was a better option for a neighborhood park.  These are shaded while the other choice --  the style of light now installed at Marina Park -- has a visible light source that is annoying.

Ideas were solicited for use of our "matching fund" money, about $3500.   Carolyn Hayek suggested a seating area away from the path in Peter Kirk Park.  Currently kids congregate on the path because benches are located right on the walkway.  An area separate from the path might alleviate this problem.  We will pursue this idea.

Our participation in the 4th of July celebration was next on the agenda.  Ellen McMahon suggested that we might locate in part of KDL's booth.  This would afford us a presence at the celebration without a lot of setup.

Mark Masterson said that he would be willing to write a neighborhood article for the Kirkland Courier each month.  He asked for suggestions as to what topics he might cover.

Carolyn Hayek said that it might be a good idea for the association to keep abreast of proposed projects downtown, including hotels that have been mentioned for both the old Salvation Army (Safeway) site and the corner of Lake Street and Central Way -- "ground zero" as it has been called.  Carolyn also suggested that we might more closely work with Condo Associations in our area, including inviting them to at least one meeting per year.

The meeting was adjourned.