Happy New Year!!!
 
The agenda for our Tuesday, January 10, 2023, regular meeting is attached below. The meeting will be held virtually on the Zoom platform. The meeting will start at 7:00 PM. 
 
At this time, we are planning to continue to meet virtually until the Fire Station 22 remodel is complete (scheduled for summer 2023).
 
The Zoom link and information for tour meeting is:
 
Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87354175751?pwd=MDNtdCtQT0YwSEhMYTRKNk9NcE1UUT09 
Meeting ID: 873 5417 5751 Passcode: 921366
One tap mobile +12532158782,,87354175751#,,,,*921366# US (Tacoma) 
 
Our meeting will include discussion on several current or upcoming topics including:

• Former La Quinta Inn Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) project January 17 Public Hearing  - web page
  
  As part of the discussion on the former La Quinta Inn PSH project, later this week we will be sending out a DRAFT letter to the City Council from CHNA for review and discussion at the meeting. We will need to decide whether we want to submit it for the January 17 public hearing and, if so, what changes should be made to it before it is submitted.  
  
  
• The Northeast Recycling and Transfer Station Environmental Review Scoping January 11 Open House - web page
• The Houghton Village (Old PCC) Site Redevelopment (no web page currently available)
• Parks 2023 Ballot Measure Initiative - web page 
• City of Kirkland 2044 Comprehensive Plan Update, January 11 Visioning Event - web page

 
We also will be having an open discussion on what the Central Houghton Neighborhood Association should focus on moving forward to best serve and represent our neighborhood. 
 
We hope to see you virtually on Tuesday January 10 to share your thoughts and get updated on these and other topics.
 
Please contact us at centralhoughton@gmail.com if you have any questions, comments, ideas for future meeting topics, or want to help lead the organization.
 
Larry Toedtli, president
Central Houghton Neighborhood Association

Central Houghton Neighbors-
 
The notes from our November 8, 2022, regular meeting are provided below. 
 
A few items to note about upcoming/ongoing activities.
 

1. La Quinta Inn Permanent Supportive Housing - We are hoping to set up a special meeting with the City so our members can get an update on the project schedule and status of the City agreements with King County and the future operator of the facility. We will alert everyone on our various communication platforms when we have more information.
2. Northeast Recycling and Transfer Station Siting Environmental Scoping - King County is holding open houses and taking comments on the scoping of environmental studies for this proposed facility to replace the Houghton Transfer Station. Two Kirkland sites will be evaluated in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) - the existing transfer station site and the Houghton Park and Ride lot. More information can be found on the NERTS project website.
3. Carillon Apartment Amenity Building Public Hearing - We discussed this proposal at our October meeting. The Hearing Examiner public hearing has been rescheduled to December 1 at 9:30 am. More information on the project and hearing can be found using this link.

 
If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at centralhoughton@gmail.com.
 
Larry Toedtli, President
Central Houghton Neighborhood Association

Central Houghton Neighborhood Association Members (CHNA)-

The notes from our October 11 meeting are attached. They include updates on several ongoing topics of interest, as well as links to associated web pages.
 
Our next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday November 8 at 7:00 PM. It will be held via Zoom. The agenda and Zoom link will be sent out approximately a week before the meeting.

The November 8 meeting will include discussions on how CHNA can best support our community moving forward. We also will identify projects for CHNA to propose for the City's Neighborhood Safety Program and the 2023/2024 City Neighborhood Matching Grant program. 
 
Please let us know if you have any questions, comments, or ideas for topics for future meetings. You can send an email to centralhoughton@gmail.com.
 
 
Larry Toedtli, President
Central Houghton Neighborhood Association 

CHNA Members and Guests:


The agenda for our regular meeting on March 8 (7:00 pm) is attached. We will have updates on several topics including:

• State Legislation on Sunsetting the Houghton Community Council -HB 1769
• La Quinta Hotel Homeless Housing Proposal
• CHNA 2022 Mailer and Event Planning
• Potential Changes to Our CHNA Bylaws (see attachment)
• Various City Code and Plan amendments

A couple of the topics will likely evolve between now and the date of our meeting.

1. State Legislation on Sunsetting the Houghton Community Council
HB 1769 (web link above) has passed the State House and is now on the floor of the State Senate. The bill could be voted on any day.. The Legislative session is scheduled to end March 10. 

The bill, as currently written, would effectively sunset the existence of the Houghton Community Council immediately. This would ignore the overwhelming (76%) vote of Houghton residents on November 2, 2021 to extend the HCC until December 31, 2025. You can contact any of the Senators to share your thoughts to express your position on the bill. Senators (wa.gov)

2. La Quinta Hotel for Housing 


I want to make sure that you are aware that the Houghton Community Council Meeting on Monday February 28 includes discussion of the proposed purchase of the La Quinta Hotel for use as a permanent supportive housing facility.


The Chair of the Houghton Community Council has asked for representatives from King County and the City of Kirkland to attend the Houghton Community Council meeting occurring Monday, February 28, 2022, at 7 p.m. via Zoom and provide information on the potential purchase of La Quinta Hotel by King County for permanent supportive housing.  
To view the agenda, including Zoom webinar information, please visit the City's website. 



You can read more about the program at - King County's Health Through Housing Initiative in Kirkland – City of Kirkland (kirklandwa.gov)

I look forward to seeing you at the meeting next week. As always, please let us know if you have ideas for topics for future meetings or would like to be part of our Board.

Larry Toedtli, President
Central Houghton Neighborhood Association

To all-
​
Thanks to all of the people that attended our meeting last week. some really good discussion on several topics.

A focus was on the proposed legislation moving forward at the state to sunset the Houghton community council (and East Bellevue Community Council).  We discussed how people can track the bill and provide comments. This information and web links are summarized in the meeting notes. If you have any questions or comments, please email us at centralhoughton@gmail.com. 

We also discussed current activities related to our 2021-2022 Matching Grant. If you would like to assist on any of these, please contact us (centralhoughton@gmail.com).

At the end of the meeting, we also discussed possible changes to our Bylaws to allow high school students to be members. We also noted a need for more people to assist CHNA as Board members or volunteers.

Sincerely

Larry Toedtli, President
Central Houghton Neighborhood Association

​To all-

Here are the notes from the November 9, 2021 meeting of the Central Houghton Neighborhood Association.

Our next meeting will be held on Tuesday January 11 via Zoom (starting at 7:00 pm). Please let us know if you have ideas for meeting topics.

We are also setting up a brainstorming session to explore options for a Celebration/Event next summer to (hopefully) celebrate the return to a new Post Covid normal and to re-introduce CHNA to our community members.
At that same meeting we also will be brainstorming ideas for a way to create a Sense of Place or Historical Marker for our Central Houghton neighborhood. As an example, the Everest neighborhood just installed a Train Depot along the Cross Kirkland Corridor Trail.

Please let us know (centralhoughton@gmail.com) if you have any ideas and if you would like to participate in a brainstorming session. I promise, your participation in the brainstorming session will NOT commit you to helping with implementation (although that would also be great).    

CHNA Members (and neighbors):

The notes from our October 12, 2021 virtual meeting are attached. We had some very good presentations and discussions. 

Hope that you will join us at our next meeting scheduled for Tuesday November 9 at 7:00 PM. The November 9 meeting also will be virtual via Zoom. 
The agenda and meeting link will be sent out about a week in advance of the meeting. We will be finalizing the decision on our submission for the 2022 Neighborhood Safety Program, which is due December 3. We also should have a member of the Parks Board in attendance to update us on what's happening with Parks and Open Space Plans and projects. 
Please let us know if you have any topics that you would like to be added to the agenda.(email us at centralhoughton@gmail.com).

We also want to alert you to the following online engagement event related to the Active Transportation Plan update. 
​
Active Transportation Plan Engagement Event!
 
Do you have ideas on how the City of Kirkland can become safer and more accommodating to people walking, rolling and bicycling? Please make sure your voice is heard by attending our online engagement event 6 to 7 p.m., Wednesday, October 20! All are welcome at this community meeting, which will be used to gather feedback and inform our process as we work to update our Active Transportation Plan. 
 
The update to this plan will focus on completing connections, seeking opportunities and innovative solutions to create more comfortable and safer environments for people walking and rolling, and will consider technologies that can both facilitate travel by walking and bicycling and also help the city better evaluate how many people are walking and bicycling in Kirkland.
 
For more information on the Active Transportation Plan update, please visit: https://www.kirklandwa.gov/Government/Departments/Public-Works-Department/Transportation/Plans-and-Studies-Transportation-Division/Active-Transportation-Plan. If you can’t make the meeting but would like to submit an online comment, please use this form: https://us.openforms.com/Form/37c47062-166e-421a-94ad-ef1b830415a7 or continue to check out or website for next opportunity to share your thoughts.  Another on-line engagement opportunity will also be scheduled for November 3rd.
 
We hope to see you there and we are excited to hear your ideas!

Thanks

Larry Toedtli, President
Central Houghton Neighborhood Association

To All-

A reminder that our September meeting was rescheduled to next Tuesday (October 12) starting at 7:00 PM. The meeting will be held virtually via Zoom. The agenda is attached. The Zoom link and passcode is: 
 
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84585428624?pwd=UnVSOXRpQmtWcWNtajdtZWtTQkJIUT09
 
Meeting ID: 845 8542 8624
Passcode: 044554
One tap mobile
+12532158782,,84585428624#,,,,*044554# US (Tacoma)
 
It's been a few months since we met and we have lots of topics to discuss and provide updates on.
We will have Lt. Goguen of the Kirkland Police Department as a guest to answer questions about safety and crime activities and changes in the Police Department.
 
Much of the remainder of the meeting will focus on transportation planning and projects. Kimberly Scrivner of the City's Transportation Department will provide a presentation on the City's update of the Active Transportation Plan. The update to this plan will incorporate new innovative solutions that are designed to accommodate people of all ages and abilities for residents and visitors to feel more comfortable when choosing to walk or bike. It will also focus on completing connections, improving bike parking and considering technologies that can both facilitate travel by walking and bicycling and also to help the city better evaluate how many people are walking and bicycling in Kirkland. 
 
The Active Transportation Plan will lead into CHNA's initial discussion of potential projects to submit for the 2022 Neighborhood Safety Program (NSP).
 
John Jordan from Northwest University (NU) also will join us. He will provide an update on the University's current activities and on the implementation of the NU Master Plan. 
 
We will then provide updates on several topics including the NE 85th Station Area Plan and Houghton Transfer Station Siting Project. 
 
As we previously noted the November 2 election includes 4 City Council positions. It also includes a ballot measure on whether to reauthorize the Houghton Municipal Corporation (Houghton Community Council) for four more years. The seven HCC member positions are also on the ballot and they would be elected if the HCC ballot measure is approved.
There is still time to register to vote or make changes (such as addresses) before the election. The King County Elections web page can be accessed here.
 
We look forward to seeing you at the meeting. Please contact us at centralhoughton@gmail.com if you are interested in joining our Board, want to help with any of our initiatives,  or have ideas for future meeting topics. 
 
Please forward this to others so they can contact us if they want to be added to the distribution list.
 
Larry Toedtli, president
Central Houghton Neighborhood Association

​To all-
 
I hope the summer has treated you well and you've enjoyed the range of summer weather. I know I spent a lot of time outdoors and truly enjoyed it.
 
Schools are back in session (please drive safely and obey the school zone speed limits), so it must be fall and therefore, it's time to get reenergized about our community.
 
Due to travel conflicts, CHNA will NOT be holding a virtual meeting on Tuesday September 14 - we have postponed the meeting until Tuesday October 12 at 7:00 pm (Via Zoom). 
I will send out an agenda and Zoom link  in advance of that date.
 
In the meantime, I want to provide you with information on new topics and some updates on continuing activities that can impact our neighborhood and City at large.
 

ELECTIONS ARE COMING UP ON NOVEMBER 2

There is still time to register to vote or update your address or other information. Please take advantage of this opportunity to shape our community.
Here is the link King County Elections Home Page - King County

- Four Kirkland City Council positions are on the ballot.

- Continuance of the Houghton Community Council (HCC) is on the ballot, as are all 7 HCC councilmembers (who will be elected if the continuance is approved).

- Other regional and local positions and ballot issues also will be on the ballot.


NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY PROGRAM - 2022 PROJECT IDEAS

Each year the City allocates up to $350,000 available for the Neighborhood Safety Program. Neighborhood Safety Program – City of Kirkland (kirklandwa.gov)

Individual projects can receive up to $50,000. Projects fall into the following categories:

• Bicycle facility: Bike lanes or trails.
• Crosswalks: New crosswalks, improved crosswalk ramps (ADA), crosswalk islands, and rapid flashing beacons.
• Intersection Improvement: Signage, parking, and pedestrian “bump outs.”
• Walkway/Sidewalk and Trail: Gravel trails, steps, curb, traffic delineators, and sidewalks.
• Street Lights: On existing utility poles or installing a light new pole.

Projects are restricted to City property, including streets, parks, community facilities, and the Cross Kirkland Corridor.
Concerns related to traffic calming, cut-through traffic, and sight distance require data collection and a separate public outreach process before traffic calming devices can be selected and implemented.  Traffic calming devices include traffic islands, speed cushions, pedestrian “bump outs”, signage, and speed radar signs.  Once they have been through this other process and traffic calming changes have been approved, the project will then be eligible to compete for funding through the Neighborhood Safety Program.

Project ideas from each neighborhood are due to the City on December 3. CHNA will be discussing candidate projects in our neighborhood for our application starting at our October 12 meeting and will select projects to submit to the City at our November 9 meeting. Please send us  your ideas for potential projects via centralhoughton@gmail.com and then join us on October 12 to start the discussion for our neighborhood safety project application.

NORTHEAST RECYCLING AND TRANSFER STATION (NERTS) SITING (Replacement of Houghton Transfer Station)

In 2020, King County's Solid Waste Division started a process for siting a new recycling and transfer station in Northeast King County to replace the aging and limited Houghton Transfer Station in Kirkland, which has been operating since the mid-1960s.On August 9th, a second possible site in Woodinville for the new facility was presented to the Siting Advisory Group (SAG). The second Woodinville site is just south of the first site, located on SR 202 about a mile north of the Ste. Michelle Winery.

One of the two Woodinville sites will be carried forward to a formal environmental review, along with two sites in Kirkland. The two Kirkland sites include the existing Houghton Transfer Station (HTS) site (NE 60th east of 116th Avenue NE) and the Houghton Park and Ride lot (NE 70th at 116th Avenue NE). Scoping for the environmental review is scheduled to start in late fall 2021. The environmental documents should be available for public review and comment in 2022.

While the Kirkland sites are not within CHNA's boundaries, the Kirkland sites are immediately to the east of I-405 and could affect traffic, non-motorized travel, land uses, and other elements of the natural and built environment. Accessibility to a transfer station in Northeast King County also will be affected based on which site is ultimately selected. 

If you want more information on the siting process and/or environmental review, please see King County's web site - Northeast Recycling & Transfer Station project - King County.

You can use this link to sign up to get notices of meetings and availability of documents on the project - King County, WA (govdelivery.com)


NE 85th STREET STATION AREA PLAN

The City has been considering modifying the land use plan and building heights allowed in the vicinity of the I-405/NE 85th Street Interchange and along NE 85th Street east and west of the interchange. While not directly in our neighborhood, decisions of this scale will affect every neighborhood in the City and the overall look and feel of Kirkland.

The City issued a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Study (Draft SEIS) in January 2021. The plan is being developed to take advantage of the Sound Transit's Bus Rapid Transit Line on I-405 approved by the voters as part of ST3.Based on significant public input, the City is conducting additional studies related to transportation and the fiscal impacts /community benefits of possible land use changes.

From the City's web site - "The Fiscal Impacts and Community Benefits Study will help us set priorities together- and take a practical approach to maximizing community benefits and the regional transit investment in the Bus Rapid Transit station for years to come. The study will use a range of alternatives narrowed from those in the Draft SEIS. What we learn from the study will help set a preferred direction for the Station Area Plan."

The City's public meeting calendar (Public Meeting Calendar – City of Kirkland (kirklandwa.gov)) shows the City Council being updated on the Fiscal impacts/Community Benefits Study at its October 26 meeting.

For more information please see NE 85th Street Station Area Plan – City of Kirkland (kirklandwa.gov)


TECH CITY BOWL REZONE (Bridle Trails Shopping Center) REZONE

The owners of the Tech City bowling alley site have applied to the City of Kirkland for a rezone of the property to allow more extensive development. No information has been provided on specific uses, including if the bowling alley use will be continued. After some initial presentations to the City's Planning Commission in 2020 and earlier in 2021, the project is tentatively scheduled for the October 14 Planning Commission agenda. The agenda and meeting packet for Planning commission meetings are typically posted about one week in advance of their meeting.

Here is the link to the project applicant's web site: Tech City Bowl Rezone Project (tcbrezone.com)


TREE CODE

In June 2018, the City kicked off a process to update the Tree Code (Title 95 of the City Code). After significant discussion, the amendment process was put on hold at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.  In May 2021, the update process was re-initiated. As part of restarting the code amendment process, City staff have been working with City Council on defining the big picture objectives and framework for the amended code. These include discussions on tree retention and replanting requirements with property development within the City. The code amendment also will address what property owners can and cannot do with trees without any redevelopment of a parcel.

The results of the code amendment may result in more or less flexibility for property owners and /or developers. in addition it will define what level and options for "mitigation" are required under various scenarios. This will affect all of us - either where we live or on adjacent properties.

The City Council is tentatively scheduled to get briefed on and discuss the Tree Code at its meeting on Tuesday October 5. The agenda is typically available on the Friday before the Tuesday meeting.

The City's web page for the TREE CODE AMENDMENT can be accessed using this link - Tree Code Amendments – City of Kirkland (kirklandwa.gov)
          

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION PLAN
 
The City of Kirkland is updating the Active Transportation Plan adopted in 2009. Active Transportation Plan – City of Kirkland (kirklandwa.gov)

The first three goals of the Transportation Master Plan:
T-0 Safety: By 2035 eliminate all transportation related fatal and serious injury crashes in Kirkland.
T-1 Walking: Complete a safe network of sidewalks, trails and crosswalks where walking is comfortable and the first choice for many trips.
T-2 Biking: Interconnect bicycle facilities that are safe, nearby, easy to use and popular with people of all ages and abilities.
The update to this plan will incorporate new innovative solutions that are designed to accommodate people of all ages and abilities for residents and visitors to feel more comfortable when choosing to walk or bike. It will also focus on completing connections, improving bike parking and considering technologies that can both facilitate travel by walking and bicycling and also to help the city better evaluate how many people are walking and bicycling in Kirkland. 

The City will be providing opportunities for the public to engage in the update. CHNA will send out information on how you can participate in the future.

CHNA BROCHURE AND MAILER and OTHER UPCOMING PROJECTS

As part of the 2021/2022 City Matching Grant Program, CHNA is developing a brochure/mailer to send to all addresses within our neighborhood boundaries. The intent of the brochure/mailer is to increase awareness of CHNA and opportunities for enhancing our community. We hope to re-engage people that have been in the neighborhood for a while as well as a way to welcome new residents and businesses that may not be aware of what we can do. 

We have a really good start for a mailer thanks to Hanna Christerson's input and design suggestions. We will likely finalize it later this year for mailing in the first quarter next spring.

We are always looking for additional support for this effort and the other matching grant projects. The other projects that we have received grant funds from the City's Matching Grant Program include:

- Post Covid Pandemic Celebration in 2022 to Reconnect In Person
- Developing Possible Ideas for Historical Markers or Other Ways to Identify the Central Houghton Neighborhood of Kirkland.

Please let us know at centralhoughton@gmail.com if you have ideas for these efforts and interest in assisting on any of them.

We have openings for Board positions - Vice President and Treasurer. We would love to have input and ideas from a wider range of people involved in CHNA. We want to be a great resource for our neighborhood to help address specific issues or concerns. We also want to find new ways to inform our neighbors of upcoming activities and how you can get involved.  We are always looking for new ideas for projects or activities that will help make our neighborhood and community a better place.

Please let us know if you have any questions or comments on these topics. Also let us know if you have ideas for topics for future meetings or want to talk about getting involved with CHNA. You can reach us at centralhoughton@gmail.com.
 
Thank you and hope to see you at our October 12 Zoom meeting.
 
Larry Toedtli, President
Central Houghton Neighborhood Association

The notes from the May 11, 2021 meeting of the Central Houghton Neighborhood Association are provided below. 

As noted at the meeting, the Houghton Community Council (HCC) recently approved Resolution 2021-3 to put the continuance of the Houghton community municipal corporation to a vote of the people that reside within the boundaries of the former Town of Houghton. Every four years, Houghton residents are asked to vote on whether the HCC remains part of our government process. 

The Community Council, which is part of Kirkland’s city government, resulted from an agreement made in 1968 when the voters of the former Town of Houghton agreed to consolidate with the City of Kirkland. One of the conditions of the consolidation was that Houghton retain a council with land use jurisdiction applying within the HCC boundaries. The Community Council has approval or disapproval (veto) authority over the Kirkland City Council decisions on certain types of land use decisions within the corporation boundaries. These include comprehensive plans, zoning ordinances, conditional use permits, subdivision ordinances, subdivision plats, and planned unit developments. 

The November ballot also will include elections for seven Councilmember positions, who will serve four-year terms if the continuance of the HCC is approved. If you are a resident within the HCC boundaries (see map), you can file to run for one of these Council positions. The filing period runs from May 17 to 21. King County has produced an elections Manual with the necessary information on filing, including dates and forms. The Manual and other election information can be accessed here. More information on the HCC can be found on the City’s web site - Houghton Community Council. 


We also have open Board positions which we would love to fill to help bring more ideas to the Association on how to improve our role in informing the community and hopefully making Central Houghton and all of Kirkland a better place for all.

If you are interested in a Board position, volunteering to help on our grant projects, or have any other questions or comments, please email us at centralhoughton@gmail.com.


Larry Toedtli, President
Central Houghton Neighborhood Association