LAKEVIEW NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION

MINUTES

October 22, 2007

Houghton Firestation #22

ATTENDING: Acting President, Robert Miller, Secretary Pamela Miller, City Council Members Mayor James Lauinger, Deputy Mayor Joan McBride, Dave Asher, Mary-Alyce Burleigh, Jessica Greenway, Tom Hodgson, Bob Sternoff; City Officials: City Manager David Ramsay, Assistant City Manager Marilynne Beard, Planning Director Eric Shields, Public Works Director Daryl Grigsby; residents Helen Fisher, Robert Style, Jason Epstein, Callie Owen, Dale Cleveland, Bonnie Cleveland, Marjorie Reese, Jeanne Quill, Lora Hein.

OLD BUSINESS: Acting President Robert Miller introduced himself and announced the Treasurer’s report.

TREASURER’S REPORT: Past Treasurer, Steve Kelln, has moved from LNA, and left Robert with the check register. On September 26, 2007, there was a balance of $991.28. A check was written to Central Houghton for LNA’s share of the band for Houghtdown 2007 $250, leaving a remaining balance of $741.28.

ELECTION OF OFFICERS: Robert Miller announced the nomination of the following slate: President Susan Thornes, Vice President and acting Treasurer Robert Miller, Secretary Pamela Miller. The nomination was seconded and passed unanimously.

SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING: Mayor James Lauinger introduced the members of Kirkland City Council. He then began his comments with a bit of history about Kirkland’s revenue stream. Kirkland seeks a balance between revenue streams, such as property, sales, and utility taxes. Recently sales tax revenues have increased, and the City has invested part, with the rest going into reserves.

Construction and wholesale revenues are ebbing. Sales: retail, gas, cars, have been steady. They represent 20% of revenues from this sector. General retail shows no real strength there. Sales taxes are volatile. Services to customers are steady demands. The question posed by Susan Thornes was how will Kirkland balance services and tax revenues with the proposed annexation. Mayor Lauinger explained State Legislature has added tax monies to cover the revenue gap for the next 10 years: needed capital expenditures (such as City Hall) and provide services to the annexation area.

Council Members Jessica Greenway and Bob Sternoff addressed questions from residents wanting more information about Park Place Redevelopment. Planning Commission is considering new owners’ and private amendments (Omi requests for sites at 825, 903, and 911 5^th Avenue, and Altom requests for the site at 220 Sixth Street, and the expanded study area to the north of that site) request for a change in zoning for the larger project. Some of these requests ask for development up to 60’ in height (Merrill Gardens property). Planning Commission is holding procedural meeting to discuss this, environmental review for these proposals October 25^th at City Hall. There will also be an open house to discuss the Environmental Impact and process on November 1^st at 7 pm in Council Chambers, City Hall. There will be a Design Review Board meeting on December 3^rd. The draft environmental impact statement for the three proposals will be January 25, 2008, followed by a 25 day comment period on the draft. After these meetings, there will be an open house, where the public is invited to comment. The Park Place and the Omi and Altom requests will come before Council beginning of June 2008.

Planning Director Eric Shields said they are scheduled to compare the written environmental impact draft with the exact plan. In February 2008 the Planning Commission will review it, and send it to the Council. There are two private amendments to the project, in addition to Park Place expansion.

Council Member Bob Sternoff commented upon six sites in downtown Kirkland: 1) Heathman Hotel, 2) 115 units Merrill Gardens, 3) Bank of America redevelopment of property to include 72 senior-housing-unit apartments/retail space, 4) Old Kirkland Market/Hecktor’s owner would like to redevelop a plan adopted by the Council, 5) Office development on Sixth to be used by Google, and 6) Green’s Funeral Home on State Street. The proposal for Green’s funeral Home (25 homes proposed) site was considered at a public hearing by the City’s Hearing Examiner on October 17^th. The Council cannot comment on this process at this time. The Design Review Board is scheduled for November 19^th for the Bank of America site. Robert Styles asked whether improvements to “four corners” with Google’s impact, had been reviewed, improvements reviewed. Public Works Director Daryl Grigsby said the transit hub had improvements, and possibly addition of right-hand-turn lanes.

Deputy Mayor Joan McBride said Lakeview Neighborhood had been her home for 17 years, and speeding has always been an issue on Lake Washington Boulevard and NE Points Drive. She said the City has tried to address the problem other than through speed limits. (Public Works has installed two pedestrian refuge islands at 43^rd and 52^nd along LWB, and with a vote of LNA and monies allocated from their Neighborhood Grants Monies installed a lighted overhead sign at the 4600 LWB crossing. These changes were required by Public Works Department as pre-requisites to lowering the 35 mph speed limit. LWB is the only street in Lakeview Neighborhood with the higher 35 mph speed limit, all the rest have 30 mph or lower.) Why is this street different and more dangerous for pedestrians? Kirkland Police Captain Rex Caldwell said enforcement, plus engineering changes (narrowing of driving lanes by addition of bike lanes) has effectively reduced the speed of most of the traffic at peak hours. The left-turn lane is still a concern, as motorists use it as a passing lane, especially hazardous at crosswalk signs. Last year Public Works installed permanent speed signs, which alert speeders of their violation. NE Points Drive has so little traffic there, Public Works will install new signs posting the 25 mph speed limit. Daryl Grigsby said Neighborhood Traffic Control has speed recording guns to loan out. Some volunteers use a radar trailer around Lakeview Elementary School successfully. The question remains, why can’t the Council take the logical step to lower the speed limit along LWB to 30 mph, in conformity with all other streets.

Council Member Dave Asher commented about the impact of SR 520 Bridge reconstruction and its impact on Lakeview Neighborhood. Work is continuing on this project: selection features to include in the project, getting the environmental impact documents completed and heading toward final design. Plans call for 2 general purpose lanes in each direction, one HOV lane in each direction (on the median side of the freeway) and pedestrian and bicycle facilities, as well as provisions for high-capacity transit by 2030 and interchanges with Kirkland at 108^th, direct access westbound. LWB interchange is in development, with regard to wetlands, salmon streams, downhill from Kirkland Park and Ride, endangered species. The stop light and loop ramps will be removed. Traffic will back up on LWB, and these improvements will facilitate flow. Light rail, high capacity transit, park and ride facility to Microsoft are a long time off. On the west side of the bridge, mediation process continues to decide between major options around the Montlake area. The November 6^th Roads and Transit ballot measure includes partial funding for the project. For more information see the WSDOT website at http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/SR520Bridge/ The WSDOT team made a presentation to Council in September, in which they showed how the new bridge design will ease congestion at certain choke points. The present congestion around the interchange is forecast to be less than today. Glen (last name? from Moss Bay) asked if 405 land configuration had been addressed with respect to light rail. There is nothing in the budget for this, perhaps in the future. Long range plans are for light rail to serve from Seattle to Microsoft.

Council Members Tom Hodgson and Mary-Alyce Burleigh responded to questions about the Burlington Northern Railroad corridor. In February the Port of Seattle and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad announced a proposal that would cause the right-of-way to be sold to the county for development as a non-monotized trail without precluding future rail use. In August the Council sent a letter to County Commission and Port of Seattle Commissioners uring them to come to an agreement to secure the right-of-way in public hands. Talks continue. The current tracks are in poor condition. The dinner train has stopped using the Kirkland tracks (operating now between downtown Tacoma and lake Kapowsin). Revisions on I 405 in Bellevue will remove the Wilburton Tunnel and sever the rail link between Renton and points north of Kirkland, and further reduce train traffic through Kirkland, Ron Sims and King County Council members favor a Snohomist to north Renton (Coulon Park). Saving the corridor is the first priority. Council Member Tom Hodgson said after November elections Proposition 1 use of the corridor for connector rail faces problems: 15-20 mph speed for a faster system, to allow for two trains passing, need for stations along the corridor, park and ride facilities along a corridor 50 miles long. Plans for a commuter rail are not cheap and easy. There are 53 intersection crossings.

Questions about annexation: Advantages were recalled by Bob Sternoff, Mary-Alyce Burleigh, and Joan McBride. Kirkland would have the same issues with unincorporated areas: traffic, operational planning process along borders, work cost, and costs go up. The current population of Kirkland would increase to 70,000. The budget has to be balanced every year. Would cost of services be off-set by increased revenues. A 1% per year property tax increase had been contemplated.

Robert Styles asked what the benefit would be for the citizens of Kirkland. Citizens will pay for annexation. Will all receive the same level of service? Police will need to be augmented. Fire services and emergency services already are provided. Will the same level of services be maintained?

With growth management, the County was working to get out of the business of providing services. The Washington State Legislature has passed a law providing $40 million funding for a 10-year period, making the annexation feasible to consider. Annexation will be on the ballot for the general election, and only annexation folks can vote. They also assume Kirkland’s bonded debt. Council Member Tom Hodgson asked, “What does the benefit to Kirkland have to be?” Large expenditures raise costs, can the financial model be achieved without making it cost more. The City Managers are conservative. Some capital needs can be spent creatively with state funding (buildings). Is 10 years enough? The Council doesn’t have the figures now. Will it leave the city as well off as it is now? Assistant City Manager Marilynne Beard has offered website locations about the annexation fiscal analysis: (2006 Fiscal Study)

http://www.ci.kirkland.wa.us/__shared/assets/dollars_and_Cents6924.pdf (“Annexation: Let’s Talk Dollars and Cents” handout)

In summary, the cost of services is going up, as services expand. This is the existing challenge. Joan McBride assured residents the Council represents them, they won’t grow Kirkland at the expense of 47,000 residents, 5 new police officers would cost the City approximately $125,000 per year. Someone asked whether better crime statistics were available. They are posted in the newspapers, Park and Ride. All are public records; neighbors should come and talk to the Police.

With regard to the Tree Ordinance, Eric Shields was asked if the restrictions of the wetlands would trump the Tree Ordinance. Eric said the more restrictive ordinance would prevail.

With our thanks to the Council and Kirkland City Staff, the meeting was adjourned. The next meeting will be January 22, 2008 at 7:00 pm, Houghton Fire Station 22.

Respectfully Submitted,

Pamela R. Miller

Secretary

Please feel free to correct any errors or omissions. They are welcome.