​The notes from the November 14, 2017 Central Houghton Neighborhood Meeting are available below followed by Northwest University's presentation on the status of the update to their master plan.
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If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at:
centralhoughton@gmail.com​

At its meeting on November 8, the Kirkland City Council discussed the potential to provide incentives to allow increased building heights up to 5 stories (compared to the 3 stories in the Planning Commission recommendations) on the Menchie’s and PCC site (see white box on below map) if the developers fund construction of the southbound right turn lane from 6th Street S to westbound NE 68th Street. The City Council was split 3-3 (Councilmember Nixon was not in attendance).

You can watch the start of the staff presentation at the 2:05:50 time stamp of the video of the meeting (here). The City Council discussion starts at about 2:09:00 of the video. 

The Council will discuss the potential incentives again at their November 21 meeting when all seven members are expected to be present. 

​The City Council's schedule is to take action on the HENC Plan and associated zoning at its meeting on Tuesday, December 12 (the CHNA meeting will be held on Thursday December 14 because of the conflict with the City Council meeting).

The agenda for the November 14 CHNA meeting is provided below. In addition to topics related to the Houghton Everest Neighborhood Center and 6th Street Corridor study, We will have a presentation and discussion with a representative from Northwest University on their proposed Master Plan.

​The CHNA Board also is proposing revisions to the Bylaws, which can be accessed in the files below. The files include a summary of the proposed changes which basically revise the Bylaws into how the organization currently operates (without dues and the structure for officers).  The current Bylaws require changes to the Bylaws to be approved by the membership (i.e. those in attendance at the meeting). The proposed revisions will allow 3/4 majority of the Board to revise the Bylaws.

The  agenda for the November 8 City Council Meeting includes topics related to the Houghton Everest Neighborhood Center (HENC) and 6th Street Corridor Study.  The staff report for the HENC discussion can be accessed here.
The Draft 6th Street corridor Study can be accessed as well - Draft 6th Street Corridor Study.

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. Staff was asked to look at development incentives and other strategies that may help support the future construction of the turn lane.  The staff report includes two options for funding the turn lane:

• Provide city funding, including use of development transportation impact fees.
• Provide a development incentive through increased heights (4 or 5 story buildings) to have the property owners fund and construct the turn lane.
  

In addition, the City Council will discuss options for assuring that transportation improvements are constructed prior to new development within the HENC. See the staff report (above) for more details.

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 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.

Today, Kirkland’s over 84,000 residents are served by several transit routes connecting the city to various Eastside destinations and Seattle. Similar to other areas in the region, Kirkland is becoming a major employment center that attracts transit trips, and transit frequency is increasing to meet the growing demand.

In response to increased growth, the City of Kirkland is working to improve transit service for residents through the Kirkland Transit Implementation Plan (KTIP). In 2015, the City worked closely with stakeholders and the community to adopt the Transportation Master Plan. This plan helped to prioritize transportation projects through 2035, including the KTIP. The City is now working to develop the KTIP as a way to build upon the goals of the Transportation Master Plan and improve transit throughout the City. The KTIP will serve as a tool to help get Kirkland residents where they want to go in the fastest and most convenient way.

Transit Implementation Plan Open House
Tuesday, November 14
5:30 to 7:30 PM
Heritage Hall, 203 Market St, Kirkland, WA 98033
 
About this Meeting
The City of Kirkland is working to develop a Transit Implementation Plan. The plan will identify possible transit improvements in key areas of the city.
 
A key part of this plan is hearing from Kirkland residents about priorities for transit investments. One of the big ways that we’re doing this is through the Open House.
 
We could really use your help in spreading the word about this meeting to your neighborhood lists and contacts. The City will also be sending this out via social media and our weekly email newsletter, so please share our posts or forward the e-newsletters when you see them.
 
Residents can come to the open house to:

• Learn about the Kirkland Transit Implementation Plan and project process
• Learn about potential transit investment opportunities
• Share thoughts on priorities for transit investments
• Speak with the project team

You can learn more about how this plan fits into the larger Transportation Master Plan by visiting www.kirklandwa.gov/KTIP. Also, feel free to contact City Planner Stephen Padua at 425-587-3871 or SPadua@kirklandwa.gov if you have further questions.