Tell Kirkland City Council that their current plan at Michael’s in Juanita is too big.

The Kirkland City Council will consider rezoning the Michael’s site in Juanita during the July 15th Council meeting for a building that is 75ft tall. This is almost twice as tall as any of the buildings currently in the area. Aaron Bourgeois, Director of Capital Projects of Weidner Homes addressed the Council directly informing them of what such a dramatic change would overwhelm the area. This included dangerous affects to access and worsening congestion. Parking problems and loss of employment space would also negatively impact the area.

Write the council and urge them to recognize the practical limitations of the geography of the site and to make rational adjustments to their plan. Your voice is critical before before the July 15th meeting. Send this letter today.

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Addresses:

kcurtis@kirklandwa.gov,jarnold@kirklandwa.gov,nblack@kirklandwa.gov,afalcone@kirklandwa.gov,psweet@kirklandwa.gov,jpascal@kirklandwa.gov,JohnT@kirklandwa.gov

Message:

Dear Kirkland City Councilmembers and Planning Commissioners,

I am writing as a concerned resident regarding the Michaels Council-Approved Rezoning Study (CARS) in Juanita, particularly the proposal to allow a 75-foot building on an already overburdened site.

The letter the Council received from Aaron Bourgeois, Director of Capital Projects at Weidner Apartment Homes, clearly outlines the risks of moving forward with this plan in its current form. I respectfully urge you to pause and reconsider the intensity of this proposal for the following reasons:

 Out-of-Scale Height: A 75-foot building is at least 35 feet taller than surrounding structures, which dramatically alters the neighborhood character. A 50-foot height limit—as Weidner recommends—would still allow for feasible development without overwhelming the area.

 Dangerous Access and Congestion: Vehicular access is proposed just 70 feet from one of the city’s most constrained intersections. Relying on a 2022 traffic study conducted during COVID does not reflect current conditions or growth since then.

 Parking Impacts: With no required parking for most units under SB 5184, the overflow will push onto nearby streets, businesses, and neighborhoods. This is not a workable or equitable plan.

 Loss of Employment Space: Replacing functioning office space with high-density housing without adequate transportation upgrades risks reducing the area’s economic diversity and increasing demand on already strained city services.

Like Weidner, I support adding more housing—but not at the cost of safety, functionality, and long-term livability.

 I urge you to:

  1. Reduce the maximum height to 50 feet.

  2. Require updated, post-COVID traffic analysis before approving.

  3. Study the cumulative impact of parking overflow in this corridor.

  4. Engage residents meaningfully—not just through paperwork.

We need planning that reflects our city’s realities, not just state mandates or developer targets.

Please take the time to get this right. Juanita and all of Kirkland deserve better.