At a recent event hosted by Kirkland’s Planning and Community Development Department, residents from the Central Houghton and Lakeview neighborhoods participated in a unique exercise, known as World Café, that involved simultaneous group conversations about the future land use, transportation, housing and retail features in each neighborhood. Participants were encouraged to envision their neighborhood in 10-20 years; their responses will be integrated into the updated Neighborhood Plans that were last updated in 1985.
To continue the update process, residents and business owners are encouraged to join advisory groups that will coordinate future events designed to involve residents and business owners in the updates to each plan. Eligible residents are encouraged to submit a statement of interest to the City of Kirkland by 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20. Those interested from the Lakeview neighborhood should submit their statements to Janice Soloff, senior planner, at jsoloff@ci.kirkland.wa.us; Central Houghton residents should submit their statements to Angela Ruggeri, senior planner, at aruggeri@ci.kirkland.wa.us. Statements may be mailed to City of Kirkland, Planning and Community Development Department, 123 Fifth Ave., Kirkland, WA 98033 or faxed to 425-587-3232.
Residents interested in serving on the advisory group should be available for four to five evening meetings in the coming months. Statements of interest will be reviewed by the Houghton Community Council who will appoint members.
There are currently 13 distinct neighborhoods in the city. A Neighborhood Plan is a component of the city’s Comprehensive Plan, which identifies the overall vision, goals and policies for future growth in the city in the areas such as land use, housing, and transportation; a Neighborhood Plan identifies the same elements for a specific neighborhood. Proposed updates will be presented to the Houghton Community Council and the Planning Commission. Once accepted, the Planning Commission will forward its recommendations to the council. The update process is expected to be completed by the end of 2010. To view the summaries from the World Café exercise and the current version of the Neighborhood Plans and to subscribe to receive email updates about the process, go to www.ci.kirkland.wa.us/planning. For more information, call 425-587-3225.
