Planning Commission makes recommendation on Kirkland annexation neighborhood boundaries

The Kirkland Planning Commission will recommend that the Finn Hill neighborhood get six more months to decide on where or if to divide after annexation in June 2011, while coming to a decision on the division of the other three neighborhoods, the city announced on Friday. The council will review the Planning Commission's recommendations as a part of its annual Comprehensive plan update during its December 7 meeting.

One of the most controversial aspects of the subject during the past six months has been the division and possible elimination of the Totem Lake neighborhood. The Planning Commission will recommend that the Kingsgate and Totem Lake neighborhoods remain in place with two major changes. One of those changes would be to move north Totem Lake residents into Kingsgate and southern Kingsgate commercial properties into Totem Lake. The other change would be to move southern Totem Lake residents into the North Rose Hill neighborhood.

As for the annexation of the neighborhood of Juanita, it would be merged with Kirkland's current North Juanita neighborhood.

The additional six months for Finn Hill comes as the commission has three primary choices on how to divide the neighborhood of over 15,000 people.

One choice is to leave the gigantic neighborhood the way it is. A second option would divide it into Finn Hill Southwest and Finn Hill Northeast primarily along Juanita Drive N.E. The second option would leave Finn Hill Southwest with 3,780 residents and Northeast with 11,250 residents.

The third option would divide the neighborhood more proportionally as far as population is concerned into Finn Hill North (7,987 residents) and Finn Hill South (7,043 residents). The third option, or plan C, would make the dividing line start from the north on Juanita Drive N.E., go east on N.E. 132nd Street and follow the arterial, stop short of the business district on 100th Ave. N.E. and go north. The boundary would reconnect with 100th Ave. N.E. just north of the Safeway and continue up to Simonds Road N.E.

All three options have the business district on 100th Ave. N.E. in the North Juanita neighborhood.

The city said that it has received more than 340 completed surveys on its Web site concerning the neighborhood boundaries in the annexation area and 140 residents participated in workshops on the subject.

Contact Kirkland Reporter Regional Assistant Editor Matt Phelps at mphelps@kirklandreporter.com or 425-822-9166 ext. 5052.

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