Meeting Notes - March 17, 2014

​Don Winters called the meeting to order. We had a turnout of about 45 members. City Council Member Toby Nixon was in attendance.
 
Kirkland Planning Director Eric Shields was our first guest. A number of projects are under way in the Moss Bay Neighborhood. The big news is that the owner of Park Place,  Prudential Real Estate Investors, has partnered with Talon Private Capital, a local real estate investment firm. Talon will be the local managers for a redevelopment of the site. Options including more residential and a smaller overall project are being discussed. The Kirkland Reporter covered this issue in detail here. Eric mentioned other projects, including the Crab Cracker site "residential suites", and the White Swan site mixed use project, both of which are close to receiving building permits. Eric discussed Potala Village. The developer is now planning to build 88 units on the site, located at 1006 Lake St. This is down from the 143 originally planned, but more than the 48 units the City would allow now under updated zoning. The City still has an appeal pending that would force the developer to operate under the current zoning. Some work on the site has taken place and the developer is moving forward.
 
Kirkland Police Officer Jason Holland gave us a brief update on police matters. Identity theft and tax return fraud has impacted Kirkland residents associated with the Seattle Archdiocese, where a data breach has occurred. Car prowls and other low level crime are the most common in Moss Bay.
 
Kirkland Public Works spokesman Christian Knight told us about four capital projects that will take place this summer in Moss Bay:

• New signal at 6th Street and Kirkland Way and a new northbound left turn lane.
• Park lane Enhancements
• 6th Street Water Main
• 7th Ave. S. Utilities Replacement

Eric Evans and Holly Smith of Polygon Homes gave us a presentation of their new project at 460 Central Way, the current location of Wells Fargo Bank. The mixed-use project would consist of 9,000 square feet of ground floor retail tenant space and 95 upper-story condominium units. Most parking would be underground. The project will be mostly 1 and 2 bedroom units with an 1100 Sq. Ft. average size. The project is before the Design Review Board.
 
Dave Wagar told us about the Viva Volunteers Fair that will take place at the Peter Kirk Community Center, 352 Kirkland Ave. on Saturday, April 5, 10AM - 2PM. The fair is a great opportunity for citizens of Kirkland to learn about a wide variety of local volunteer programs that benefit people of all ages within our community.
 
Bea Nahon gave us the KAN report. The City of Kirkland will begin its Neighborhood Safety Program this year with a pilot program and the new neighborhoods will be eligible for 3 grants of up to $50,000, funded by the recently passed streets and roads levy. There will be a panel with one representative from each of the neighborhoods to review the proposed projects and make recommendations to the City Council. The attendees at our meeting approved sending Bea, our KAN representative, to represent Moss Bay on this panel. Next year, the eligible projects can be anywhere in the City and later this year, we will have further discussion about projects to improve street and road safety that we would like to see pursued for possible grant funding.
 
Don Winters told us that one of the development projects we have been following, the "6th Street Flats" at 220 6th St., is not going forward. The developer, Waddell Properties, could not secure purchase of the entire site and the project was no longer feasible. The Kirkland Professional Center site at 433 State St., where 19 residential units are being planned by Windward Real Estate Services, is still in the works and the developer is tentatively scheduled to be at our May meeting.
 
Our next meeting will be May 19, 2014 7PM at Heritage Hall, 203 Market. St.