The Community Process
Touchstone currently has two design options being considered by the City of Kirkland. The first, its Mixed-Use Plan, incorporates 300,000 square feet of retail and generous amounts of public open space with some 1.2 million square feet of commercial-office space. This plan is currently being reviewed by the Planning Commission, which will make its recommendation to City Council later this year on the Preferred Alternative redevelopment option for the project.
Touchstone has also submitted a plan to the City for an Office Alternative Plan, which meets the Kirkland’s current zoning requirements. Under this plan, Kirkland Parkplace would be redeveloped predominantly with Class-A office space, within the 5-story height limit of the existing zoning. It would not feature the community-focused amenities than the Mixed-Use Plan incorporates.
View more information on both of the concurrent plans.
Private amendment request at a glance
- On May 14, 2007, Touchstone Corporation submitted a private amendment request (PAR) application to the Kirkland City Council to amend the Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Code/Zoning Map for the redevelopment of the existing Kirkland Parkplace property.
- The proposal includes up to 1.8 million square of office, retail and hotel space and approximately 3,410 parking stalls.
- A building height increase from 3-5 stories to 4-8 stories.
- A building setback reduction from 20 feet to zero feet on Central Way and 6th Street and, possibly, from 10 feet to 0 feet next to Peter Kirk Park with possible flexibility in other regulations such as lot coverage.
The PAR process has two steps
- The threshold determination by the City Council to decide whether to further consider the request.
- The study process for those requests to be considered further. The study process involves an environmental analysis to gauge impacts and suggest mitigation strategies, public hearings by the Planning Commission a recommendation from the Planning Commission to the City Council and a final decision by the City Council.
Decisions to date
- On July 17, 2007, the City Council made the decision to further consider the Parkplace PAR.
- The Council also passed a resolution which directed the Design Review Board (DRB) to play a role in advising the Planning Commission.
Public Process Timeline
| December 2, 2008 | City Council adoption [Proposed Alternative]. |
| November 18, 2008 | City Council Study Session [Proposed Alternative]. |
| October 15 & or 22 & 23, 2008 | Public Hearings [Proposed Alternative]. |
| October 6, 2008 | Final EIS Issued [Proposed Alternative]. |
| September 25, 2008 | Planning Commission Study Session [Proposed Alternative]. |
| August 14, 2008 | Planning Commission Study Session [Proposed Alternative]. |
| July 31, 2008 | Planning Commission Study Session [Proposed Alternative]. |
| July 10, 2008 | Planning Commission Study Session [Proposed Alternative]. |
| June 26, 2008 | Planning Commission briefing. |
| June 12, 2008 | Planning Commission study session on preferred alternative. |
| May 22, 2008 | Planning Commission deliberations PAO/comp plan/zoning. |
| May 12, 2008 | Public art and open space Open House hosted by Touchstone to gather community feedback. |
| May 12, 2008 | End of Draft EIS comment period. |
| April 24, 2008 | Planning Commission hearing on comp plan/zoning. |
| April 22, 2008 | Sustainability Open House hosted by Touchstone to gather community feedback. |
| April 21, 2008 | DRB made a recommendation to the Planning Commission on Touchstone’s Private Amendment Request. View details on the recommendation. |
| April 15, 2008 | City Council study session on EIS. |
| April 10, 2008 | Planning Commission study session. |
| April 10, 2008 | Planning Commission hearing on comp plan/zoning. |
| April 8, 2008 | Open House on Draft EIS |
| April 7, 2008 | End of Draft EIS comment period. |
| March 28, 2008 | Draft Planned Action EIS issued. |
| March 27, 2008 | Planning Commission hearing on Draft EIS. |
| March 11, 2008 | Final Design Review Board review. |
| March 11, 2008 | Design Review Board meeting. |
| March 11, 2008 | Open House on Draft EIS. |
| February 22, 2008 | Draft Planned EIS issued. |
| February 21, 2008 | Open House hosted by Touchstone to solicit community feedback. |
| February 4, 2008 | Design Review Board meeting. |
| January 7, 2008 | Design Review Board meeting. |
| December 10, 2007 | Open House hosted by Touchstone to solicit community feedback. |
| December 3, 2007 | Design Review Board meeting. |
| November 29, 2007 | Planning Commission meeting. |
| October 29, 2007 | Open House hosted by Touchstone to solicit community feedback |
| October 25, 2007 | Planning Commission meeting to discuss process and initial proposal with the public. |
| October 8, 2007 | Launch of the Web site www.envisionkirklandparkplace.com and mailing to inform the public of the Open House schedule. |
| September 17, 2007 | Design Review Board meeting to discuss the DRB’s role in the Parkplace PAR process and to begin review of Touchstone’s proposal. |
| August 23, 2007 | Planning Commission meeting to discuss the process for Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Code amendments. |
| July 17, 2007 | City Council meeting on the Comprehensive Plan Amendment |
| May – September 2007 | Ongoing public meetings with numerous neighborhood groups, downtown property owners and condominium associations. |