King County’s South Kirkland Park & Ride property is being considered for a transit-oriented development project, but before it can become a viable project the City of Kirkland must adopt zoning regulations to guide the development of the site.

Transit-oriented developments create housing near transit hubs that make it easier for people to use a nearby transit system, thus reducing the reliance on cars for commuting. The property is located at the southern-most end of the City of Kirkland, at the intersection of 108th Ave. N.E. and N.E. 38th Place.

The City of Kirkland is hosting informational meetings at 7 p.m. Jan. 20 at Northwest University, Health/Science Center Room 233 and at 7 p.m. Jan. 25 at Kirkland City Hall, Peter Kirk Room. Representatives from the cities of Kirkland, Bellevue and King County Metro will present background information and attendees will be asked to identify issues to be addressed in zoning code provisions that would help to address compatibility within the neighborhood, land use issues and site and building design. Information about the zoning regulation adoption process is available at www.ci.kirkland.wa.us (Search: South Kirkland Park & Ride).

The South Kirkland Park and Ride site is owned by King County who will sponsor the future development of the site. The Kirkland and Bellevue City councils recently adopted “Mutual Objectives and Principles of Agreement” that commits the agencies to ensuring project coordination, adequate parking, financial feasibility, impact mitigation, high quality design and a range of affordable housing units. The King County Executive is expected to consider the guiding principles in the coming months.

The property is about seven acres in size, with approximately equal portions of the site lying within the cities of Kirkland and Bellevue. Only the Kirkland portion of the site is being considered for transit-oriented-development. The site is currently developed with 603 parking stalls and a transit facility.

For more information, contact Marilynne Beard, City Manager’s Office at 425-587-3008 or mbeard@ci.kirkland.wa.us.

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