​On November 7 residents of Houghton will be asked to weigh-in on several issues and candidates, including Proposition 1 regarding the continued existence of the Houghton Community Council (HCC). I urge Houghton residents to vote “Yes” for the continuation of this community municipal corporation.

The Houghton Community Council was formed in 1968 when the cities of Kirkland and Houghton merged. A key aspect of the merger was that the HCC would have veto power over land use regulations within the boundaries of the former city of Houghton. Every four years, Houghton residents vote whether the HCC should continue to exist.

Over the last 20 years, my wife and I have been involved in various aspects of our community including the Lakeview Elementary School PTSA and the Central Houghton Neighborhood Association. During those years, the HCC board members have added value and insight into land use decisions made by the Kirkland City Council. 

In my role as a former president and current role as vice president of the Central Houghton Neighborhood Association, I know the HCC has been in tune with and sensitive to the opinions and desires expressed by Houghton residents in open forums. The HCC board has helped shape our community into the very desirable place it is to live today through thoughtful deliberation and keen insights.

For these reasons, I urge Houghton residents to vote Yes for Proposition No. 1 for the continuation of the Houghton Community Council. 

Brian Staples

The notes from the October 10 2017 Central Houghton Neighborhood Meeting are available below.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at:
centralhoughton@gmail.com

​Thanks and please VOTE

During the transition of the CHNA Board in May and June of 2017, notes from our meetings did not get posted to our web site. The following includes the notes from our June and May 2017 meetings. Please contact us at centralhoughton@gmail.com with any questions or comments. Thanks.
​

​Central Houghton Neighborhood Association meeting
June 13, 2017 Meeting Notes

• Doreen Booth – Neighborhood Services Outreach Coordinator

We got to meet and talk with our new Neighborhood Services Outreach Coordinator. Although Doreen may be new to us she has worked with Duvall, Pacific, Fife, Sound Cities. She is well known to a lot of City of Kirkland staff members. She lives here in Kirkland. Among her many duties are the City webpage coordinator. She publishes the weekly newsletter “This Week in Kirkland” (formerly Kirkland News Bites)on Wednesday afternoons. This weekly email is full of the latest goings-on in Kirkland. To subscribe to this newsletter click https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/WAKIRK/subscriber/new?topic_id=WAKIRK_105
Her Contact Information:
Doreen Booth, Phone:425-587-3011, email: dbooth@kirklandwa.gov

• Houghton Community Council Election – Pro/Con Statement

The Houghton Community Council was formed in 1968 when the City of Houghton joined with the City of Kirkland. It has veto power over land use issues ONLY in the area that used to be the old town of Houghton (see map http://www.kirklandwa.gov/Assets/Planning/Planning+PDFs/HCCMap2.pdf ) It is one of two Community Councils in the state of Washington. Every 4 years the residents of the Houghton area must vote to 1. Continue the existence of the Houghton Community Council and 2. Elect its members. Such an election is coming up this November so preparations are being made for the election ballot voter information pamphlet.

• Applications for Pro/Con Statement was due June 9 – extended to July 7 (selected July 24)
• HCC Selection June 26

 

•  Houghton Everest Neighborhood Center (HENC) – City Council review
  • March 23 Public meeting
  • City Council has started looking at the HENC zoning changes at last week’s study session
  • A lot of questions about the City’s properties just south of Waddell’s property
  • City Council had questions about 2nd floor office units, step backs for the 3rd floor, and affordable housing requirements
  • Anna(Everest President) and Larry(CHNA President) will be meeting with Councilmembers Pascal and Asher.
  • Next meeting – for KCC July 5 see for video, item 10d on Agenda, http://kirkland.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=43&clip_id=3615

 

• 6th Street Corridor Study/Transportation Commission
  • No new updates/dates. This item is expected to be on the Transportation Commission agenda at the Wednesday July 26th meeting, Council Chambers, 6PM

 

• Northwest University Master Plan Status
  • No new updates on the UNW website
  • Daylight the chapel stream
  • No other new information

 

• Other Development Projects
  • The hotel on 68th behind the 7-11. Although the lot is technically in the Everest neighborhood, it is a part of our Houghton Everest Neighborhood Center.

 

• Kirkland Alliance of Neighborhoods Report
  • Meeting tomorrow
  • Joel Pfundt will talk about the Lake Washington Promenade
  • Lisa will talk about how the city updates the Neighborhood Plans
  • They will talk about changes to the 520 bus plans proposed by Metro and Sound Transit
  • Using residences for Airbnb/VRBO, should there be regulations/restrictions?

 

• Neighborhood Safety Projects and Grant
  • The speed radar sign on 68th proposed for 2017 project was not warranted after the study. There will be some curb painting to try and delineate and highlight the curve in the road that has been the scene of multiple accidents.
  • Cross walk on 108th is nearing construction. (Update: Rapid Flashing Beacon units are currently being installed)
  • The schedule for the next year’s project grant will be advanced to more closely coordinate with the creation of department work plans for the next year.
  • Lisa McConnell, our NSP grant representative for CHNA, suggested FeetFirst study for one of next year’s projects. There are also several other projects being considered for the Safety grant for 2018. If you have a safety project you’d like to see done, submit your idea to http://www.kirklandwa.gov/depart/Public_Works/Construction_Projects/Capital_Improvements/Suggest_a_CIP_Project.htm.  We will be discussing ALL suggested projects at the next CHNA meeting in September.

 

• Crossing Kirkland 2017 celebration

See http://crossingkirkland.org/ for details and to help

• June 15 - 3 people, preliminary plan
• July 15 – Completed application and final plan

 

• Cross Kirkland Corridor Trail Community Art – applications due June 15

 

• Other Topics/Input
  • Grand opening for the new parking lot next to City Hall
  • Discussion and grant for the 50th Picnic?

 

• Adjournment
  • Next meeting - September 12, 2017

 

Central Houghton Neighborhood Association meeting
May 9, 2017 Meeting Notes

​Dear CHNA members,
First I’d like to offer apologies in advance.  I have just received the helm of Secretary and the distribution list for CHNA. If you have repeats or mail sent to addresses you no longer use, or if you’d like to be removed from this list, please let me know. I will work to correct this as soon as possible. Lisa McConnell at lisaamcc@hotmail.com Second I’d like to reiterate our distribution list tradition. Generally, we send out only 2 emails a month: once for meeting notice and Agenda, next for meeting notes. Occasionally, when there is a particularly urgent or time sensitive item that falls between these two mailings, we may send out an additional email to the list. You should be receiving no more than 2 or 3 mailings from us in one month. If you are getting more mail than this, please let us know and we will look into the security of our list.
 

• New Meeting date but same meeting time and place. We will now be meeting on the second Tuesday of the month at Fire Station #22 on 108th Avenue at 7PM. The exception will be no meetings July or August because summer meeting turnouts are low.
• Officer elections: President – Larry Toedli, Vice-president – Brian Staples, Treasurer – Erika Somm, Secretary – Lisa McConnell. Thank you to all who have served as officers and those that continue to serve the community. Welcome to our newest member, Larry Toedli.
• Northwest University update. No information at present. Still doing SEPA and permit review. Look to Facebook and our website (Houghtonlives.com) for information as it becomes available
• HENC There is a great review and Next Steps available on our website (www.houghtonlives.com ) that contains summary charts and text that would be too extensive to attach here. Please see check it out. The City Council will be reviewing at a Study Session on JUNE 6th at 6PM in Council Chambers, City Hall. City Council will be the ultimate decision makers for this long discussed issue.

Houghton Everest Neighborhood Center, Permit Number CAM16-0274
The following provides the City Council’s email addresses. You should also copy Angela Ruggeri, Senior Planner. If you want to you also can copy the Planning Commission and Houghton Community Council.

• City Council: citycouncil@kirklandwa.gov
• Angela Ruggeri: aruggeri@kirklandwa.gov
• Planning Commission: planningInfo@kirklandwa.gov
• Houghton Community Council: HoughtonCouncil@kirklandwa.gov

Please contact us at centralhoughton@gmail.com if you have any questions about the current HENC recommendations, City Council review process, or about submitting comments to the Council.
 
 
Our next meeting is Tuesday June 13th, 7PM, Fire Station #22 on 108th Ave NE

The preliminary agenda for the November 8 City Council Meeting includes topics related to the Houghton Everest Neighborhood Center and 6th Street Corridor Study. the meeting will be on Wednesday November 8 at 7:30 PM at City Hall. This is a change from the usual City Council meeting on the first Tuesday of the month.

At it's October 3rd meeting, the City Council asked staff to develop options related to the potential for a southbound right turn lane from 6th Street S to westbound NE 68th Street. This additional right turn lane has been identified as a way to reduce the forecast delays the this key intersection serving the neighborhood center. Constructing the right turn lane would require right of way from the Houghton Plaza site (i.e. Menchie's) which would displace existing parking spaces. Staff was asked to look at development incentives, such as additional height, and other strategies that may help support the future construction of the turn lane.

In addition, the Transportation Department will present the latest draft of the 6th Street Corridor Study to the Council at that same meeting. At this meeting we should get the first look at the draft recommendations for multi-modal transportation improvements on 6th Street S/108th Avenue NE and NE 68th Street in the vicinity of the Houghton Everest Neighborhood Center.

This should be an informative meeting on how the City Council looks to link transportation improvements with the changes in land use and zoning for the Houghton Everest Neighborhood Center.

​