Meeting Minutes 05/14/2024

South Rose Hill-Bridle Trails Neighborhood Association Meeting Minutes

Tuesday May 14, 2024

Attendance: 25 in-person, 5 on zoom

                    City Councilmembers Neal Black and John Tymczszyn

                     All Directors and Officers  were present.

President Kagen called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m.

POLICE REPORT: KPD Lt. Troy Knafla.

Lt. Knafla oversees Patrol, Traffic Unit, K-9, and liases with the new Marine Unit.

Recent police successes include apprehending organized retail theft rings, the return of stolen French bulldogs, and car thieves. Lt. Knafla  credited the community with police success by reporting suspicious activity. Do not hesitate to call. Maybe the contact does not  result in an arrest but it starts with relationship building. Police work with local businesses proactively, informing them of what has occurred.

KPD and Fire Department work as a team, as well as with the regional Mobile Integrated Health unit on behavioral health and homelessness incidents. People sometimes are initially suspicious of police, but over time a relationship of trust develops.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Chris introduced Board Officers and thanked Karina O’Malley for hosting the zoom account and John Marsh for running the audiovisual.

Volunteer Opportunities:

• Kirkland Rotary Rummage Sale Saturday July 13 8am-2pm. Many volunteers are needed on the day of the sale and on other dates prior to the sale date. To volunteer, sign up at:  KirklandRotaryRummageSale.org. 

• Place flags on veterans’ graves in the Kirkland Cemetery May 24 noon.

• Beautify N.E. 70th, 122nd-124th north side.  The following sections are up for “adoption”: 124th-125th south side, 125th-128th south side. Contact Sue Contreras at scon1965@hotmail.com or 206-612-0957 for details.

• Downtown Clean Sweep May 19 2 shifts available: 9am-noon and 12:30-3:30. Lunch provided at noon. Meet at Sotheby’s on Lake Street. 

Coming Events 

• Local historian Matt McCauley is leading a tour of the Kirkland Cemetery Saturday, May 18 from 10 am to noon.

• High School Senior Car Cruise: Saturday June 8 7:45 pm Lake Washington Blvd.

New Dog Waste Bag Dispenser Installed at South Rose Hill Park: Deirdre Johnson

Deirdre took advantage of a new city program offering dispensers to organizations who would commit to  purchasing the disposable bags. Deirdre applied on behalf of the SRHBT Neighborhood Association and we were awarded a dispenser. The NA will purchase the next 500 bags needed. Please contact Deirdre (deirdrejohnson@hotmail.com or 206-696-2666 if you observe vandalism to the dispenser. Jim Hoff stated that the South Rose Hill Park restroom has been vandalized. He has reported the vandalism on the Our Kirkland app, talked to Parks and to the workers who repainted the restroom. Also the door handle is loose. He has had no response to the issue, and because there are two City Counclmembers present tonight, he wanted to let them know of the issue. 

Taylor Fields Amenities Installation Update: Betsy Lewis

Confirmed with King County Solid Waste that 5 each: park benches/tables, dog waste bag dispensers, and trash cans will be installed by June 10. Subsequent maintenance will be performed by County workers.

ZONING CODE VIOLATION CONCERNS: Dan Maehren

Mr Maehren and his neighbors  were working with the City for over a year [regarding  concerns  about  a 3-unit build ( main house, DADU, and ADU) on  a single lot in Mr. Maehren’s neighborhood near South Rose Hill Park.  Mr. Maehren stated: “After engaging [with the City] on these issues, I realized that this  particular project [intersects with development projects not just in our neighborhood but in other neighborhoods as well] that are adding density and with the building code [that] the City … is trying get right. . . We been working in good faith [with the City] and [are] not satisfied with the answers[we’ve received ….Our primary concern is with the trees…[before even closing on the sale of the property, the builder hired a crew who] removed over half the live crown of two Douglas [firs]. That was reported to the City and no action was taken.  [Per] the zoning code, …pruning over 25% of a tree’s live crown is considered tree removal. And if we treat those trees as “removed”, [the City should have imposed a development moratorium.. …And then [there is the issue of the buildings. [It has appeared to me and my attorney that [the City] interpreted …code so [as to allow] a building that’s much larger than should be allowed…The three [adjoining] property owners [including myself have ] filed a lawsuit. I have a flyer that explains the situation and we are asking for donations. Our objective is to have the permit overturned and [to impress on the City that the tree code must be enforced. Reconcile the code’s plain language with how code is being interpreted, which allows for much larger buildings, amounting  to a giveaway to builders. To read more, please go to our website: ProtectKirklandTrees.com.”  or call Dan at 206-913-9685.

Jim Hoff asked what actions were taken early on when the concerns arose. Mr. Maehren: “First I tried to work with the builder. They did not answer my calls, nor respond to my emails, and were quite rude when I did contact them. I went to the Planning Department, who kindly set up a meeting, but I was not satisfied with the answers they gave. Next, I met with [Planning Director] Adam Weinstein and some of his staff in my backyard. We took a look at the project’s on the neighborhood and trees. I continued to ask questions, met with [Councilmember] John Pascal. We did everything we could and made a good faith attempt. Nobody here is a bad guy–I just think we uncovered some issues that need addressing. It’s unfortunate that we must bear the cost of a lawsuit.” 

An attendee asked if Mr. Maehren had used a mediation service. He stated he was unaware of such a service. He had wanted to  go to the Hearing Examiner, but the City denied his request to do so.

BRIDLE TRAILS STATE PARK UPDATE: Matt Birklid, Park Ranger

Mr. Birkin introduced himself. He has held the Park Ranger position for nine years.

“Party In the Park” will take place June 22 under a new name, “Horseshoes and Habitats” and with a new emphasis on education and promoting the resource. Formerly the event’s goal was to get as many people as possible into the Park. Lake Washington Saddle Club continues to sponsor this event. An interpretive ranger will be on hand to meet with children and do programming. As usual in the summer, equestrian events take place every weekend. Check the Saddle Club’s  calendar before driving to the Park because for some events the parking lot fills up with horse trailers.

On June 9 the Park hosts “Sundaes Outside”, put on by the Buffalo Soldiers of Seattle. Activities  will include booths, and historic re-enactments. 

Fiber optic is coming to the Park.

Mr. Birklid credited the Bridle Trails Park Foundation for its work in keeping the Park open when closure was threatened several years ago and for its continuing support, especially of the coming Environmental Education Classroom, a 1000sf classroom, welcome station, and Ranger office comprising two structures designed by Jones & Jones Architects. Only four trees will be removed to allow construction, all of which are hazard trees. The buildings are cantilevered and shade loving plants will be planted under the structure. This project is funded by the Foundation. The project awaits approval by the State Parks Commission. The project has been in the works for 8 years.

The Park is located technically in unincorporated Kirkland.

Partnerships are active with Cherry Crest and Ben Franklin schools, for programming.

Karina O’Malley reported that signage warning of great horned owl attacks is missing. Ranger Birklid stated that there is little danger from owls at this time of year and also that the bear warning signs have been removed. 

MEET COUNCILMEMBER JOHN TYMCZYSZYN

Councilmember Tymczszyn spoke on current “hot topics” before Council:

Old PCC Site in Houghton: There is not a lot of clarity on the site’s future. 

Kraken Proposal for Two Ice Rinks at the Houghton Park & Ride Site: Kraken officials engaged with the City about “[giving or renting]” them the site. The rinks would provide recreational opportunities for members of our city and the surrounding area to learn to play hockey. The Kraken’s goal is to create a Hockey Little League, create more interest in general for hockey, and be a feeder for their fan base.

Ongoing Council Discussion around Homelessness

“…and how to best address it. We’re at the beginning of a discussion. We’re trying to develop  an emergency plan. In  Burien and Seattle and at other cities that tend to be closer to the airport there are unsanctioned camps and there’s been a loss of control of what’s happening. If this type of problem comes to Kirkland–and I’m not sure it’s here yet, what do we do? That’s the discussion. We want to have humane solutions. But also responsible solutions.We’re at the beginning of that discussion. One of the main things being discussed is encampments and the possibility of forming an encampment, and when camping like that would be allowed, and possibly where. That type of discussion is very heated, very controversial. There’s a lot of emotion to it. I’d like to take out some of the emotion and try to make logical humane solutions regarding that subject.  But the most controversial topic is going to be do we sanction an encampment under the Kirkland Municipal Code? And if we do, where do we put it? I think everybody agrees that encampments are not a great long-term solution. But if the choices are between that and people freezing to death on the streets, then maybe that’s what we do. We’ve had homeless people freeze to death in Kirkland throughout the years. Every winter it’s always a possibility. We had a shelter here a couple of years ago. Some of you may have heard of  this…it was closed on certain days and open on certain days. A gal went there thinking it was open that night. It wasn’t open , so she slept in the doorway …froze to death and didn’t wake up the next morning. Those are the kind of tragedies that I think we would help to avoid. It is a very controversial subject because Seattle is in a very different situation than ours and I don’t think anybody really wants to have that in Kirkland. But the solutions are complex, and if you have any thoughts on it I’m happy to hear it because I’m still developing my position on this issue. I’m talking to residents, I’m talking to homelessness professionals who are trying to help people every day. And I’ve had some interactions with the homeless in shelters or encampments through my work with veterans’ charities. Veterans, like myself, have been disproportionately affected by homelessness. There are a lot of solutions to homelessness and almost of them suck. We’re trying to find the least terrible solution. Contact me at johnt@kirkland.wa or call my cell at 425-830-7520. Im happy to talk.

Councilmember Black spoke to the “power” of  the “one sentence email” when communicating with Council. Example: “Can we meet to discus [fill in the the blank’”, preferable to sending an 8-page email. 

Questions from the audience: 

–What is the current zoning height limit for the PCC site?

Councilmember Neal Black responded that the City adopted 5 stories. This development plan gives the City the opportunity to negotiate community benefits, assets, etc. If the City had not purchased the site at a discount. If the City had not purchased the site, it would have gone to a developer. The City is in talks with people interested in developing the site.There’s been interest from the school district and in workforce housing.

Deirdre Johnson–There’s a rumor that the Houghton Park & Ride will be an encampment site. Answer from Councilmember Tymczyszyn: “No. I don’t believe that’s the plan. That is certainly not my plan. I’m not a facebook fan. What you see on face book is not an official City communication. The City needs an action plan and city process before we get too far down the road.At the last meeting I said two things.One, I’m not sure if this should be an action plan. I think this should be an emergency action plan if certain things come to Kirkland.The second thing I said was that there have been two meetings on the topic of homelessness with the City Council and I think we should have a community process before we get too far down the road. I was very clear that we should have additional meetings ahead of the public process.

Felix Chen–What is prompting the discussion of the homeless? Two questions. #1:  I see two camper [vehicles parked] on my street. They’ve been there for years.#2: Are you talking about tents?

Answer from Councilmember Tymczyszyn: “It’s like a large scale, so I believe the discussion centered around tents or pallet homes, which are–if you want to call it upscale, we could call it upscale. I’m not sure . It’s better than a tent. The prompting of the discussion is because of articles …in the Seattle Times about about the [cities] of Burien and Seatac–about the City of Burien’s Mayor or somebody calling the for the Mayor to resign  [or] the Mayor calling for the Police Chief to resign – a total cluster, whatever you want to call it….a circus for other cities in King County and not wanting for that to happen here. One of the problems in Burien is that an anti-encampment ordinance was passed by their City Council. The City of Burien’s police then refused to enforce the camping ban saying that they believed it was unconstitutional or unlawful or not practical or something. The Supreme Court is currently reviewing case law on camping bans.. I think we’ll have more clarity from the U.S. Supreme Court in upcoming months. I would like to see us probably hold off on some major decision making in Kirkland if so. Supreme Court cases are going to come down. That would affect our decision making because passing laws that are unconstitutional….trying to enforce them…then not having your police department enforce them is what happened in Burien to my understanding. If you want more clarity on that, you can look at it in the Seattle Times. The only information I have on it is what I read in the Seattle Times. Those occurrences in other King County cities are prompting our conversation. I think Kirkland has taken a responsible approach–that is, starting a conversation before it gets to that point.

–Question about the Northeast Regional Transfer Station (NERTS) from Fred Schwender.

Answer from Councilmember Tymczyszyn: I think King County has been very vague and not forthright with Kirkland on that subject. I was clear about that at the Candidate Forum and my position has not changed. King County has [stated] they were going to site it somewhere else, then said we’re going to site it somewhere else, but it’s going to be in the same place….very confusing statements surrounding that. My public statements [are] that I think the City Attorney should be involved in exploring our options including and up to litigation, and that industrial applications should not be zoned within a single family neighborhood–they should be zoned within an industrial neighborhood. This is an industrial application which is in the middle of a single family neighborhood. It’s been there a long, long time and that’s really the only justification of having it here. I am in favor of moving it somewhere else, and I know you don’t want to hear this–however, if it’s impossible to move it …into an industrial zoned area, then we need to get as much money from King County as possible. There is currently a fund of approximately $28 million that Kirkland could possibly [access] to be used for mitigation. For odor control, noise control and beautification. Option number one is to continue to fight and use our City Attorney to explore every possible option, including litigation.  The backup option is for King County to spend as much money as possible out of that $28 million to mitigate. …but if somebody’s not treating us fairly, I think we should sue them. And I stand by that. And I stand by using our City Attorney and I stand by our City Attorney being aggressive. I don’t think it’s the City Council. I think it’s the City Attorney and his opinion in reviewing our litigation options. 

Councilmember Black: [NERTS] is an “essential public facility” so the County trumps us.I heard the mitigation is up to $32 million.

Councilmember Tymczyszyn: I like to sue people as a lawyer. Simply because [the Houghton 

Transfer Station] has been here for a long time is no reason it should continue.And the Taylor Fields baseball fields are in terrible condition. They have not been properly maintained, especially the lower level field. We’d like to explore the possibility of a sports complex….I agree but I like threatening ….people and then settling from a position of power. The bottom line is I was on the Planning Commission for 7 years.

If nobody has more questions, I really appreciate your time. I’m really excited to be on the City Council. I’m excited to get around and get to know all our neighborhoods, including yours. I live several blocks away. Thank you. I’ll be here at subsequent meetings.”

–Comment on speeding and racing on N.E. 70th. Need for more patrol. Loud mufflers.

–Comment from Chris Kagen: Police have issued more tickets than usual on 70th and increased patrols.

Comment from Kyle Sullivan: The three pillars of vision zero are enforcement, education, and engineering. We should advocate for engineering. 70th was built for speed.

–Comment from Jim Hoff: A mobile radar speed detector has been in place on 70th the past few days.

Councilmember Black: Kirkland is working with a vendor, pioneering a “sound camera”, piloting it on Lake Washington Blvd. It’s basically a sound sensor coupled with a camera that recognizes a vehicle. We’re not issuing tickets but Kirkland and other communities are curious about its success. Frankly, the technology is not yet good enough to pass muster as evidence. A second one is at Central Way and 6th going up hill toward I-405. Warning signs are posted but we can’t ticket yet.

NEIGHBORHOOD HISTORY: Loita Hawkinson, Kirkland Heritage Society

A brief history of Bridle Trails Park: In 1854, the government divided Washington Territory into townships, each of which was divided into 36 sections, each section had two “reservations”, one of which was reserved for schools–one such reservation was the site of the current State Park. The land was sold for logging to fund schools–the land was logged in 1904 and in 1906. In 1931 it became a Park and in 1932-33 the Civilian Conservation Corps built the trails that currently exist in the Park. The Park became the playground for wealthy Seattleites, who would ferry their horses over for the day to ride the Park trails.

A brief history of N.E. 70th: Back in the day, it was the only blacktop road on the Eastside. If you looked up an address in the phone book, it would say “124th and Blacktop Road”, for example. 70th was also known as the Yellowstone Trail. The Yellowstone Trail went all the way from Plymouth, Massachusetts to the Kirkland ferry landing. Here is how it came by its name: It was the main highway across the states. People had automobiles but there were no other paved road. The paved road made a jog to Yellowstone Park, because it was a cool destination. Redmond’s portion is still called the Yellow Brick Road.  If your neighborhood wants a project, bug the City Council to add historic street names to the road signs. These historic signs are all over Norkirk, Market, and Moss Bay. The Heritage Society can provide you with the historic names. Park Lane used to be Commercial Street. The City removed the historic street name sign, so we are losing that history. 132nd was originally Newcastle Road.

The Heritage Society is located in the lower level of Heritage Hall, in Heritage Park. /we sell historic photos for $10, sasparilla for $2. Check the website for more information.

TREE AMBASSADOR PROGRAM: Jim Hoff

We’re suggesting to the City that a Tree Ambassador program be piloted in our neighborhood.

Jim has been meeting with Adam Weinstein and Jim Lopez at the City, who are talking with the City Arborist and others to determine what resources might be required to establish this program. We are proposing that initially a couple of neighbors be trained in the City’s tree code, tree canopy goals, as well as in tree species identification. They could assist with complaints and consulted on tree issues. A first resource for people to complain to, and if a complaint was forwarded from them to the City, it would have credence and not just be considered NIMBYism (not in my backyard). We’re moving forward on this proposal, I’m not giving up on it. For awhile we were moving in circles. It’s taken almost a year, but my strategy is to meet, email, call and don’t quit until something happens.

HOUGHTON PARK & RIDE TEMPORARY PARK UPDATE: Don Samdahl

The City is moving ahead. They are leveling paving to allow for pickleball courts and community gardens to be installed by the end of May. There is an existing waiting list for pea patches. No preference will be given to our neighborhood. 

An official ribbon cutting is set for around August 7. 

The Neighborhood Association would like to be there and offer refreshments or something–a little party. Hopefully the amenities will be there for a couple of years. We’ve had a good relationship with the City on this project. Hopefully that will be an asset going forward.

Tuesday May 21 Council will hold a study session on the Kraken proposal. This is not a public hearing but to get an idea of what is proposed

ELECTIONS FOR 2024-2025 BOARD DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS: Martin Morgan

The following slate was nominated, seconded, and approved by voice vote;

President: Chris Kagen

Vice President: Jim Hoff

Treasurer: Don Samdahl

Secretary: Betsy Lewis

Directors: Deirdre Johnson, John Marsh, Karina O’Malley, Felix Chen, Emily Sorensen, and Kyle Sullivan.

Meeting adjourned. Mark your calendar for our next meeting: Tuesday September 10 7pm at Ben Franklin Elementary School Library and on zoom.

Respectfully submitted,

Betsy Lewis

Secretary