MOSS BAY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION

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.

Chief Cherie Harris – Kirkland Chief of Police since April 2016
She started her career at Washington State University, then moved to Monroe before joining the Kirkland department over four years ago.
Approach to her job as chief: listening to the officers, demonstrating that she cares, making sure they have equipment. One way she demonstrates that she’s gone out on SWAT calls and investigations to be present with the officers.
For the last three years, the top calls for service are:
1.       Collisions
2.       Car prowls, vehicle thefts (typically when something valuable is left in sight).
3.       Residential burglaries
Tip: if you park on the street with your garage door opener in your car and it is broken into, the thief can get into your garage. If you have an unlocked door from the garage to the house, you are at risk for burglary.
Drug crimes: There are crimes related to drugs. There have been fatal overdoses of heroin of young people. The fire department is working on carrying overdose antidotes. There have been very few calls related to Kirkland’s marijuana stores.
The Department is finishing a 5+ year Strategic Plan. One aspect of the plan calls for looking at the data for every call for service to problem solve. One goal is to become more involved in the community. One idea is to have an online system to report crimes that don’t require a police officer to show up and take a report. For example, if a car appeared to be broken into but nothing was stolen, you could report it online.
Recruiting and Retention: In the past, turnover was very low. But there have been 11 retirements and people moving for other opportunities. Eight positions have been hired and are going through the police academy. There are 98 officers and can hire two “over-hires” because of the number of people reaching retirement age. There are 20 staff members at the jail.
Audra Weber has been Kirkland’s neighborhood resource officer. She will go back to patrol until the department increases staffing. Tip: you can call the business line or email police@kirklandwa.gov for questions or when you want to discuss something about policing.
 
Houghton/Everest Neighborhood Center and 6th Street Corridor
Angela Ruggeri is in the Planning Department responsible for this project and the plan is at http://www.kirklandwa.gov/ depart/planning/Development_ Info/projects/he6th.htm
Marcia Wagoner from 3 Square Blocks – Consulting Company Hired by Kirkland City Planning Department to do public outreach.
The goal is to update the Comprehensive Plan, update zoning regulations, and address Transportation issues. For example, the PCC grocery store wants to redevelop to add more space. This initiative is to help determine what could be possible. Right now, businesses are zoned for up to 30 feet in height.
The citywide survey is open until October 28, 2016 at https://he6.metroquest.com 
There have been over 500 responses, with about 10% from Moss Bay.
Results so far:
·        People want retail and restaurants. Don’t want offices and housing. However, Moss Bay’s results were higher for including mixed-use retail/housing. Most preferred small scale buildings with public spaces.
·        High interest in traffic controls for bikes and pedestrians.
In November (2nd or 3rd), there will be a community workshop at Northwest University, to review survey findings, review pros and cons of land use and transportation options.
The Planning Commission will review the Comprehensive Plan and Zoning November – January. The Transportation Commission will review and prioritize in the same time period. The recommendations will be presented to the City Council in early 2017.
If you have questions about any city topic, or want to make a complaint or request, visit http://www.kirklandwa.gov/City_Services/question.htm
 
KAN Update
The city is putting on a program for residents on January 9, 2016 at the Kirkland Performance Center. The focus is on neighborhoods and topics that concern residents within each neighborhood. The featured speaker is Peter Kageyama, who is highly respected as a dynamic speaker with skills in making neighborhoods more meaningful. http://www.Fortheloveofcities.com
 
Neighborhood Safety Program
Must have our top 2 neighborhood ideas are by November 3rd.
We will email the MBNA email list a survey monkey of the top ideas to have people vote on their top 2 preferences.
Go to this site to request a project.

• ​Projects from 2016
• Projects from 2015

 
Kirkland Development Update
In Development:
·        Kirkland Urban (former Park Place site) – Two office buildings 375,000 (square feet) with retail and restaurants, plus 185 homes.
·        Park and Main – Mixed use building with retail on the Park Lane side, and 128 homes.
·        State Street Lofts – 4 homes at the corner of State and NE 68th
·        Two developments nearing completion: at 7th Ave S and at the intersection of State Street and 4th Ave S; both about 30 homes.
Planning Stage:
·        Areta is adding an extension to their current building with 70 apartment units.
·        The former Bungee office building near QFC will become 184 units in a mixed-use building.

​Don Winters called the meeting to order. We had a turnout of about 40 members. 
Karen Kitsis, Sound Transit Senior Planning & Project Development Manager, was our first guest. Karen showed us the existing Sound Transit system as well as the planned extensions that will come in the 3rd wave of development called ST3. The average tax increase for ST3 will be about $200 per household. There is a study planned for the Cross Kirkland Corridor, but no current plans for transit on the trail. A light rail line from Bellevue to the South Kirkland Park and Ride is being considered as part of ST3.
 
Seth! Leary, Education Director of Kirkland Arts Center, cleared up some of the mystery surrounding that organization. The Center has been located in the historic 1889 Peter Kirk building on Market St. since 1962. The art gallery at the Center is open to he public and is free of charge. There are five art shows put on per year. The Center offers 65 classes per quarter in ceramics, oil, acrylic, water color, print making, photography, 3D animation, drawing and jewelry. They hold  their Art Beat Gala every October, a major fund raising auction.
 
Kari Page updated us on Kirkland's Neighborhood Safety Program. Kari outlined the 2016 program projects. Moss Bay's two projects, stairs to the Cross Kirkland Corridor at the Corner 2nd Ave and 10th Street, and a crosswalk entrance to Marina Park from the south side of Kirkland Ave, have been approved for funding and should be completed in 2017.
 
Aimee Voelz told us that Leadership Eastside has launched a civic incubator program to address issues on the Eastside. Aimee is participating in the Affordable Housing Committee.
 
Election were held for the officers of the Moss Bay Neighborhood Association. Don Winters announced that he is retiring after 13 years as co-chair. Two new co-chairs, Dan Ryan and Aimee Voelz, were unanimously elected. Bea Nahon was elected as secretary, and Leslie Keller, who has been treasurer since 1997, was re-elected.
 
Don Winters gave a brief update on development projects in Moss Bay. A new project in the works is Areté II, which would be located at 330 4th St. It would be a mix of office, apartments and residential suites (sometimes known as apodments), with 70 residential units. Robert Pantley is the developer. Robert's Areté on Central Way, a 290 unit complex, was recently completed.
 
Our next meeting will be September 19, 2016.

​Don Winters called the meeting to order. We had a great turnout of about 50 members. 
Dave Tomson of SRM Development was our first guest. Google has moved into their new building on 7th Ave. S. There will be a ribbon cutting on Feb 16 at 11AM with City and Google officials as well as Governor Inslee. Moss Bay residents are invited. The City will be installing two traffic signals on 6th St. S. this summer -- one at Kirkland Way and another at 9th Ave. S. The new lighted "Google" sign on the building facing 7th Ave. S. will be turned off daily at 9PM to avoid annoying neighbors. SRM has purchased Moss Bay Storage on 5th Place S. No immediate plans.
 
Ed Segat of Continental Properties told us about their new mixed use project on the "Antique Mall" site at 114 Main St. There will be 4 stories with 128 residential apartments over one floor, approx. 13,000 sq ft, of retail. There will be 20 studio apartments, 35 1 bedroom, 57 1 bedroom/Den units, and 16 2 bedroom apartments. The units will average 785 sq ft. There will be 212 underground parking stalls and 46 pay retail stalls which will be available to the public. The project is slated to be completed by the end of 2017.
 
Jenna Higgins, Kirkland's Recycling Program Coordinator, briefed us on the new plastic bag ban, which goes into effect March 1. Stores will not be providing plastic bags and there will be a 5 cent charge allowed for paper. More info here.
 
Glenn Peterson mentioned that Summerfest, which will take place Aug 12 and 13, is in need of volunteers for a steering committee.
 
Kari Page explained the Neighborhood Safety Program and how the two projects we voted for are now candidates to be funded by the City. The City Council will make the decision on April 19 and the projects should be implemented by June 2017. Our number one project is stairs to the Cross Kirkland Corridor near the corner of 2nd Ave. and 10th St. We discussed the option of moving the location to nearby Kirkland Way where it might be more visible and used by more people. Our second project is improved sidewalk and a crosswalk at the west end of Kirkland Ave. This would provide a more pedestrian friendly entry to Marina Park. Kari mentioned that stairs from the CKC to 68th St. in Houghton are under construction.
 
Don Winters reviewed a number of development projects that are planned or underway. The 27 unit "401 State" project is under construction and 5 units have been sold. The 76 unit Capri Kirkland, on the old White Swan site on Central Way, is completed and apartments and retail spaces are leasing. The 290 unit "apodment" development, Areté (Crab Cracker site), also on Central, is nearing completion and some tenants have moved in. A 20 unit development, "The Walk", on 7th Ave. S. is under construction. A new project, "State Street Lofts", is in the planning stage. The project will be 4 stand-alone residential "cluster homes" on the northeast corner of State St. and NE 68th St.
 
KAN report -- The Kirkland Alliance of Neighborhoods provided input via their spillover parking efforts that resulted in the City Council approving a new ordinance that makes it a violation to park in front of a mailbox from 8AM until 5PM.
 
Our next meeting will be March 21, 2016.