Commercial Property Owners Group asks for partnership with City of Kirkland
It seems like everyone wants to get their view heard about the proposed downtown building moratorium. The Downtown Commercial Property Owners Group has now penned a letter to the Council. The City Council will consider the issue tonight at City Hall.
Someone should set up a concessions stand just outside. They’d make a mint.
Kirkland Views received the following email addressed to the Kirkland City Council from The Downtown Kirkland Commercial Property Owners Group:
September 16, 2008
Greetings City of Kirkland Council Members:
The Downtown Kirkland Commercial Property Owners Group is very concerned about the proposed moratorium or interim ordinance being considered by the City Council. We do not feel that this action is necessary nor is it in the best interest of downtown Kirkland.
The moratorium could have a number of unanticipated negative impacts. For example, the economic repercussions would come at a time when the City is facing a huge budget shortfall. The moratorium would drive new retailers away from considering Kirkland when new businesses are urgently needed. The moratorium would also discourage developers from considering Kirkland for future projects.
Should the Council decide to pursue the moratorium, we believe the scope should be limited to 60 days and to resolving the ambiguity in the City’s comp plan and zoning code. We understand the need to clarify superior retail, to resolve the building heights along the east side of Lake Street, and the need to define step backs and set backs for upper stories.
The commercial property owners would welcome the opportunity to work with the City on this undertaking and in trying to eliminate the many variables inherit within the development process. We would like a voice in the decision making and would work constructively with the City as a partner in resolving this current issues.
Enacting an interim ordinance to impose a building moratorium should only be done in an emergency. We do not believe this situation qualifies as an emergency. City staff offered several viable options to a moratorium in their Sept. 4, 2008 report to the Council. We trust the Council will take the time to evaluate all options before making a decision of this magnitude.
Sincerely
The Downtown Kirkland Commercial Property Owners Group
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While The Eastside Sun agrees wholeheartedly with the sentiments of the above letter, we DON’T agree that another front for unnamed citizens should hold any additional sway over the city council.
Lord knows we have enough problems with the elected, appointed and/or hired people controlling the future of our city. Unnamed persons and groups hiding behind names like CiViK and (the late) KirklandCBD shouldn’t have the council’s ear in a way the average citizen does not.
Anyone fighting the council’s ‘gang of four’ has a lot of support out there. Likewise for any group protecting a private landowners right to develop their property. We’re ready to line up in support.
So ‘Downtown Kirkland Commercial Property Owners Group’, god bless you and your efforts, but TELL US WHO YOU ARE!
John Michael Gilday
Reply
September 16, 2008
City Manager
Kirkland City Council Members
Kirkland Views
Kirkland Chamber of Commerce
Kirkland Downtown Association
Dear City Leaders:
I read with great interest a letter to Kirkland Views, where a Greek term Hybris, was used to describe the current City Council – by the way it means “outrageous arrogance and the abuse of power and authority along with the absence of moral vision”.
A just description of our Mayor and his three cohorts, resulting in a 4/3 vote on almost every issue. As Mayor, Jim continues to use the same flawed decision making abilities that in the past led to his numerous business difficulties and his bankruptcies’. If you were interviewing an applicant for position of Kirkland Mayor – these failures alone would remove him from any consideration.
Due to his leadership, we now find a city that is millions of dollars in debt, facing at least one major lawsuit, with business tax revenue declining along with a faltering business environment, and worse of all, a clear message to any new business and development, “you’re not wanted”.
This Council has raised taxes at every opportunity, now this same group, is asking for yet another tax increase of the maximum allowed by law. In the recognition of their inept management decisions that has resulted in less revenue and a need for more taxes. That and the slavish commitment to a well know protest group – which is not very “Civic minded” in its aims or desires, has put this city in major financial difficulties.
Now this same group wants to have a Moratorium on all development of our city – “Stop growth, stop new business generation, stop new revenue streams”. What part of a healthy taxpaying, job creating, business community – don’t these four Council members understand? Talk about bad leadership and poor decisions and you have just described this City Council.
Needless to say, “A Moratorium” is a bad ideal for the community, taxpayers and future of our city.
Very Sincerely,
John Overleese
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John Gilday Reply:
September 24th, 2008 at 9:35 am
John,
I always look forward to your posts. They are well reasoned and well written – this one is no different.
BUT, the plural of cohort is cohort (a cohort is a group of subjects).
You can’t tell I’m the son of an English teacher can you?
John
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Why not include Parkplace. If there is any need to think about what we want to do in Downtown, isn’t this the project with by far the biggest impact? Maybe the developer pays more than SRM? Truly, if we want to stop an all-office option, or be forced to take a monolith of a project, it seems this of all projects needs to be examined and studied. Very curious they chose to leave it off.
For the record, I think a moritorium is a bad idea and sends one more message to people that Kirkland is not really interested in business. The famous four strike again!
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Michelle Goerdel Reply:
September 17th, 2008 at 8:47 pm
My understanding of the Parkplace plan is that they are already vested on the office project so if they put the moratorium in place it would stop the preferred alternative project but not the office building project, thus “forcing” the developer to go forward with the office project. You could retort that the developer could just wait if he wants the preferred alternative so badly but the developer is not the final say in this, its the investors who have ponied up the money for the project- very few significant CRE projects these days are self funded and any developer has some very large public and private backers who are clamoring for a return on their investment.
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Quick reply to both John’s comments above.
To John Gilday: The ‘Downtown Kirkland Commercial Property Owners Group’ is a group of Kirkland Commercial Real Estate owners, real estate brokers and others that meet quarterly to keep everyone informed on the commercial real estate climate in Downtown kirkland. We like your suggestion and will be producing a list of participants shortly. It is a great suggestion and the last thing we want is to have the community think we are any thing like CiViK.
To John Overleese. Once again your gift of writing hits the nail on the head. Wonderful comments.
Steve
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The Ghost of Peter Kirk Reply:
September 18th, 2008 at 9:24 am
Steve, there is such a group associated with the Kirkland downtown Association and also one tied to the Downtown Advisory Committee. Which one is this?
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John Gilday Reply:
September 24th, 2008 at 9:27 am
Steve,
Thanks for the clarification and godspeed with your efforts.
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