Drawings of Kirkland Parkplace options and the Planning Commission to hold final public hearing
A Kirkland Views reader sent in these drawings representing the three options for Kirkland Parkplace which are before the Planning Commission and upon which our most recent poll was based. The drawings were from a PowerPoint document which listed the City of Kirkland as its creator (PDF for easy downloading and viewing available here).
If you haven’t yet voted, this information may help you make a decision as to which Parkplace option you most support.
Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.NOTE: This poll originally appeared in the post: Three options for Kirkland Parkplace - cast your vote in our online poll
The Parkplace plan options are labeled A, B and C, representing the Touchstone 5-story Office Alternative, the Touchstone 8-story Mixed-Use Alternative and the Planning Commission 11-story Mixed Use Alternative.
What is interesting in these drawing is to note the differences between the various building heights along Peter Kirk Park and Central Way. When evaluating the 11-story option, one must consider how the rest of the site is affected. There are always trade-offs.
Mixed-Use or Office Park: Let the Planning Commission know your views
Mark your calendar for Thursday, June 26 at 7:00 PM to be at City Hall for what is likely your last chance to voice your opinion on this issue. In preparation for a large crowd, the City has prepared ample room for the large number expected to attend. There should be ample seating and the audio/visual equipment is now functioning in the foyer (a snafu which plagued the last meeting). It should be quite a show. I suggest you get there early, and bring a sleeping bag.
Related materials:
What are your views? Does seeing these site plans change your view? Would you change your vote if you could? What are the relative positive and negative aspects of each of the three options, A, B and C? Are lower building heights along Central Way as important as lower building heights along Peter Kirk Park? Why or why not?
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5 Responses to “Drawings of Kirkland Parkplace options and the Planning Commission to hold final public hearing”
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In another post greg sparhawk said we need buildings designed with input of the people who live in and around them. I think his name is on the list of people trying for the new DRB slots I agree with his statement and i hope he gets on the board. With regard to these options I wonder how 11 stories will look from the park. I think there will be step ups from the park but what will be gained by 11 stories? If I read the plans correctly it looks like lower heights will be along 85th. That is a busy intersection about to get busier with little or no pedestrian activity on the north east corner. Why have low buildings there? What is the benefit? The lower building heights should be where people can enjoy them not cars.
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Of the three pictures shown, it looks like the citizens for responsible development will be pushing for option A not because they want lower heights but they also don’t want the views blocked of Ken Davidson who just happens to own a huge building next door. Ken’s beautiful views will be blocked by the project just as his neighbors’ views were blocked when his building was built. What goes around comes around I guess. Ken’s issue is clear but the rest of those who follow him do not seem to have a clear message because they say they are in favor of development of park place but just not to the extent that the landowner wants. I wonder how many of them are willing to grant their neighbors veto rights over their property when it is time to for them to sell.
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LofL, I believe those lower heights along 85th are to partially preserve the long view as you enter Kirkland via this gateway street. They also serve to lessen the impact of the overall size by pushing the height away from the street. Pedestrians aren’t a factor there but drivers are, and they won’t feel like there is a huge structure at their shoulders if heights are lower there. Going to eleven stories with shorter sections lets the developer maintain the same overall square footage as the eight story plan.
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l think that Kirkland needs to slow down its rapid development. I also feel like a salmon swimming against the current. I want the historic aspects of Kirkland preserved and tearing down Park Place is not the answer. The historic clock should be kept at the very least. I am emotional about this issue because I have spent much of my life at Park Place. Change is hard to swallow. My intellect tells me something needs to be fixed with the stores in Park Place but I do not trust the developer or the city to make things better.
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This development as proposed is the same size as Redmond Town Center, with fewer parking spaces. Total square footage is on par wiht the Columbia Tower. What makes us think we can support a regional mall of this size? Why not do something mixed use with fewer square feet. I enjoyed a coffee at Parkplace Starbucks the otherday, sitting outside in the sun, looking up at blue sky Under these plans, I would be at the base of a 11 or 8 story building, looking across at another 11 or 8 story building. No sun.
Kirkland needs mixed use, but there are way too many unanswered questions and promises from the developer. And is any one concerned that this developer does not specialize in mixed-use retail? In fact according to his Web site, they have done only one retail development. I would want some assurances on tenants. RTC has a bunch of major retailers to support their size. I am not conviced Kirkland can attract them given that we can only draw from the East,South and North (no shoppers in the lake) and east of here is RTC, North is Lynnwood mall and south is Belle Square.
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