Dear Finn Hill Neighbors, There will be 3 important meetings this month about the Finn Hill neighborhood plan as well as public safety and road projects that will affect where we live. Plus, we’re co-sponsoring a forum of City Council candidates in two weeks’ time. We urge you to attend as many of these meetings as possible. Your voice matters and your engagement can change city policy.

Tuesday, October 10 – Open house on Finn Hill neighborhood plan: 6:00-7:30pm at Finn Hill Middle School, 8040 NE 132nd Street. The Finn Hill neighborhood plan is headed toward final consideration by the Planning Commission and adoption by the City Council in the near future (see October 26 meeting below).The open house next Tuesday is a good way to reacquaint yourself with (or introduce yourself to) the key elements of the Finn Hill plan – land use, parks, and transportation. City representatives will be on hand to explain the components of the proposed plan at tables you can visit on your own schedule. You can ask questions and learn about re-zoning proposals and street connections that may affect your property directly. We’ll provide refreshments.

We’ll also send out an email tomorrow with more information about the status of the plan, critical issues that are yet to be resolved, and resources you can consult for more information. For now, we just want you to pencil this meeting on your calendar. And please tell neighbors and friends!

Wednesday, October 25 – Presentations on Fire Station plans for Finn Hill, and updates on Juanita Drive and 100th Ave Corridor projects: 7-8:30pm at Finn Hill Middle School. City representatives will report on plans to renovate Fire Station 25 (Holmes Point Drive and Juanita Drive) and interim fire response plans. They’ll also provide updates on safety improvements to Juanita Drive and proposals to improve the 100th Avenue Corridor.

Thursday, October 26 – Public hearing on Finn Hill neighborhood plan before Kirkland Planning Commission: 7:00pm at City Hall, 123 Fifth Avenue in downtown Kirkland. This Planning Commission meeting will be your last formal opportunity to address the Planning Commission on the neighborhood plan and on recommendations to re-zone certain areas of Finn Hill (residential areas and the Inglewood shopping center).

As noted above, we’ll send an email tomorrow with more background information on  Finn Hill Neighborhood Plan, File No. CAM15-01754,  about the status of the neighborhood plan and the particular zoning issues that the Planning Commission and the Council will consider. But please note this important Planning Commission meeting on your calendar now. pdf is now available with what areas are discussed for up zoning and down zoning.

And finally…Thursday, October 19 – City Council candidates forum. 7:00-8:30pm at Kirkland Justice Center, 11740 NE 118th Street (behind Fred Meyer in Totem Lake).The Finn Hill Neighborhood Alliance and the Juanita Neighborhood Association are co-hosting this forum featuring city council candidates Penny Sweet, Jon Pascal, Uzma Butte, Jay Arnold, Martin Morgan, and Tom Neir.

This is your chance to hear the views of council candidates on parks, land use planning, the budget, affordable housing, transportation, public safety, and many others.  The forum will be a combination of prepared written questions and questions from the audience.  If you would like to submit your question before hand, please email it to: matt@finhillalliance.org.

We hope to see you on the 10th …and later in the month as well!

Scott Morris
President, Finn Hill Neighborhood Alliance