By Robert Style Many neighborhoods like the small town feeling. Some Councilmembers want more development. Who will win? Thanks to the Growth Management Act, cities are required to update their comprehensive plans. The same development problems have not gone away – protecting neighborhoods, promoting economic development, and compliance with regional county, state, and federal requirements. [...]
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Guest Commentary | Local versus Regional spending – Has the City of Kirkland’s focus on regional programs gone too far?
One Kirkland citizen questions the cost/benefit of regional involvement By Robert L. Style When an elected official recently said that we got back more than what we paid into regional funding, I asked the City for the dollars and cents figures. [The chart below] shows in black what I asked the Finance Director, Ms. Tracey Dunlap, [...]
Letter | Critique of the Council Retreat
By Robert Style Why did the Council spend $30,000 for something they already knew? Each community survey for the past 20 years has produced the same results which they use to toot their own horn. But the blast turns to blasphemy when the Council ignores what needs to be done to improve Kirkland; that being traffic and [...]
Letter | Do not appeal NEWS lawsuit decision, urges LWSD PTA unit
By Susan Baird-Joshi March 11, 2010 To: Governor Christine Gregoire Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna CC: NEWS (Network for Excellence in Washington Schools) Lake Washington PTSA Council presidents and legislative chairs Washington State PTA–Jeanette Muck, Leg. Dir; Kim Howard, Government Relations; Pres. Scott Allen Washington State PTA–legislative listserv Elected representatives from the 45th District–Rep. [...]
Just how “Googley” is Kirkland?
UPDATED Read The City of Kirkland’s news release on this subject. Google has announced a plan to develop an experimental fiber network with ultra high-speed broadband in a small number of trial locations across the United States. With internet speeds of over 100 times faster than typical connections, the 1 gigabit per second fiber-to-the-home also [...]
The Future of Kirkland’s Neighborhoods – Annexation Brings Many Questions
By Rob Butcher UPDATED At their March 2 Study Session, the Kirkland City Council briefly discussed the issue of how annexation might affect Kirkland’s neighborhoods and how the neighborhoods might be re-partitioned in the post-annexation era. At issue is the size and population of the soon to be annexed neighborhoods of Finn Hill and Kingsgate in [...]
Official results, Lake Washington School District ballot measures
Lake Washington School District Levies Pass, Bond Fails School board to determine next steps The results of the February 9 election are now final according to King County Elections and Lake Washington School District passed two of three measures on the ballot. The Replacement of Existing Educational Programs and Operations Levy passed by a margin [...]
Letter | Where is the opposition to Parkplace?
By Margaret Bull Last year Kirkland City Council meetings were jammed packed with people objecting to the Parkplace Developer’s plans to build 8 story buildings in Kirkland. Where have all those people gone? You can still be involved in shaping the development of Parkplace. Monday night the Design Review Board meets to discuss what building [...]
The show must go on! Locals save popular summer concert series at Marina Park
By Karen Story It wouldn’t be summer without concerts at Marina Park. But when the Utility Tax failed in November, the City of Kirkland cancelled the concerts they’ve been organizing for 32 years. But there’s good news: a group of citizens and businesses have stepped in to save the concerts! The Kirkland Downtown Association will [...]
Guest Commentary | A trail now on the BNSF corridor?
By Debra Sinick A trail now on the BNSF corridor? Over 40 people came out for last week’s Eastside Trail Advocates meeting to hear about the possibilities of a trail on the corridor now, with a train, if needed at a later date. The ETA supports the publicly funded studies that have concluded commuter rail [...]
Letter | Tour of Juanita High School reveals serious deficiencies
“Juanita High School has serious deficiencies in many essential operating systems, including those for heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, electrical, and plumbing. And the roof leaks.” By Barbara Billinghurst I dearly love the Juanita High School community. Many of my friends’ children have graduated from this school or currently attend. Although I don’t have children at the [...]
Kirkland Views Letters to the Editor moved to sidebar
Dear valued readers, Recently, several suggestions have been made by readers as to how Kirkland Views can better present Letters to the Editor. Some have suggested that letters be placed deeper within the website, and off the front page. Others think that providing prominence to voices which would otherwise be unheard is an important public [...]
BNSF Rail Corridor sale – Conservation Futures Tax questioned as source of funds
The sale of the BNSF corridor seemed like a done deal. The news media reported the sale of the BNSF line to The Port of Seattle at the close of 2009 with plans to sell the line to King County in 2010. But now some question how the sale will be funded. By Debra Sinick [...]
I love and adore Kirkland and I hope you will too – an essay
The following essay on Kirkland was written by Rachel Walen, 11, of Golden, Colorado. Rachel turned in this work as a 5th grade homework project, and now she has shared it with us. Sometimes a child’s perspective helps us better appreciate the very special place in which we live. – Admin Kirkland, Washington By Rachel Walen As [...]
Letter | Why I Voted to Support the LWSD Levies and Bond
By Susan Baird-Joshi Dear Editor, I support Lake Washington Schools, and I voted YES to renew the two levies and approve the new construction bond on the Feb. 9 ballot. The Lake Washington School District Educational Programs and Operations Levy supports 19% of necessary general operations–textbooks, transportation, salaries, etc. In other words, the levy is [...]
Letter | Why I can’t vote for the Lake Washington School District Bond
By Paul Hall I understand from the Lake Washington School District’s web site that their proposed Bond Issue includes 134 million dollars for the ”modernization” of Juanita High School. That web site also describes “modernization” as the complete upgrading of a facility by either renovation or tear-down and replacement. Although there is no information in [...]
Guest Commentary | Washington State should legalize or decriminalize possession of marijuana
By Toby Nixon Last Wednesday in Olympia, the state House Committee on Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness held hearings on two bills regarding marijuana policy reform. These bills, HB 1177 (decriminalization of possession of small amounts of marijuana) and HB 2401 (legalization of marijuana and sale in state liquor stores) will be voted on in the committee [...]
Will Kirkland Be The Only Major Seattle-Eastside City Without an Off Leash Dog Area?
By Debra Sinick I always kid my husband that if we ever break up our dog is a real “people” magnet. He’d have no trouble meeting people, especially the female kind, if he has Henry, our dog, by his side. Dogs do that for their people. Dogs are magnets for other dog lovers. People love [...]
Letter | Council’s Political Poppycock
By Robert L. Style The agenda for the city’s Jan 19th meeting is out. Staff’s report on annexation reflects just what we knew and the representatives in the PAA and some on the council ignored. It’s a mess and the consequences are even worse than we forecasted. We had credibility. It’s too bad we can hold only the two that remain [...]
Rob Butcher, Editor
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