Council approves zoning on home height restrictions in PAA

The Kirkland City Council voted 5-2 to adopt the city's recommendations for zoning in the Proposed Annexation Areas of Kingsgate, Finn Hill and North Juanita neighborhoods at its July 21 meeting.

The only two members of the council to vote against the zoning was Deputy Mayor Joan McBride and Mary-Alyce Burleigh. The most contentious of the recommendations came on the subject of multi-family structures. The County allows multi-family structures to be built to a height of 60 feet, while the city of Kirkland allows just 35 feet. The vote means that future building or additions can only be built up to 35 feet in the PAA if it becomes a part of Kirkland.

"I understand this for by the lake, cause it (would be) like a wall," said McBride. "But this is downzoning that area by half."

The council discussed prior to the vote how to encourage affordable housing if the height restriction of 60 feet were left in place. One option on the table was to tackle the zoning issues after the annexation election.

"I am troubled with this," said Council member Bob Sternoff. "We don't have a good history of revisiting things."

Another issue was height restrictions for the PAA on single-family homes. Kirkland allows 30 feet, while the county allows 35 feet. The vote means that future building or additions will have to be under 30 feet for single-family homes if the PAA becomes a part of Kirkland, with the exception of single-family homes on Goat Hill, which will be allowed the 35 feet.

Some council members saw the resolution as taking away the neighborhoods' rights to determine their own zoning, while others saw it as a way of making the zoning laws consistent with Kirkland.

"Would we go into one of our neighborhoods and tell them they had to be at 25 feet because that is the way it is west of the freeway, but we're not going to give you a say?" said Burleigh.

Council member Dave Asher argued that PAA residents will get their say when they vote for or against annexation.

Other zoning laws the vote effects include the adoption of county laws regarding chickens and the ban of roosters; that all storage containers, which are allowed under county law, will be prohibited and current containers will only be allowed for 10 more years; to retain the grandfathering and registration provisions for oversize vehicles as previously drafted; and to maintain the current residential zoning status for the property at the intersection of Juanita Drive N.E. and N.E. 122nd Place.

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