At the last Kirkland City Council meeting, the council violated the trust of neighborhoods, neighborhoods that trusted the council to protect their interest as they did for almost all neighborhoods, especially Norkirk and Highlands regarding traffic. That all went out the window.

The council decided to ram the proposed TOD (Transit Oriented Development) down the throats of Central Houghton and Lakeview neighborhoods even leaving the neighborhoods who don’t want it off the list of those whose agreement is necessary for the “Mutual Objectives and Principles of Agreement for the South Kirkland Park and Ride Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Project.”

Specifically, the Lakeview Neighborhood has veto power of land uses, a legal agreement that was required when Kirkland wanted Lakeview as part of Kirkland in 1968. Call their omission stupidity. To leave them off the list was inexcusable. I call it arrogance and a breach of trust.

If the TOD is approved, 108th Ave. N.E. and Lake Washington Blvd. N.E. will be jammed, congested for hours, in order to get those who get off or on the bus through Kirkland to their homes. The bus routes to and from the site will become crowded. Where are those riders going to park to catch the interconnected routes (230,234, 254, and 255) to the site? If it’s going to be in your neighborhood, it will degrade your quality of life. You will pay the price.

There may be mitigating measures to protect neighborhoods but I don’t think so. In order to prevent the traffic backup when busses are loaded and unloaded, turnouts with acceleration and decelerating lanes are needed. More parking in neighborhoods is needed. Roads need to be wider. Road capacity through Kirkland is essential; however the council doesn’t want it. And yet, they are willing to sacrifice where you live.

If it does, say goodbye to Kirkland as you know it.

Robert Style