C. Community Character Goals and Policies

Goal CC-1: Enhance Kirkland’s strong sense of community.

Goal CC-2: Preserve and enhance Kirkland’s historic identity.

Goal CC-3: Accommodate change within the Kirkland community and the region in a way that maintains Kirkland’s livability and beauty.

Goal CC-4: Maintain and enhance Kirkland’s built and natural environment by strengthening the visual identity of Kirkland and its neighborhoods.

Sense of Community

A community with a strong social fabric and an environment where diversity is encouraged is one where people know and care for each other and for the community itself. The City’s support of organizations which contribute to this social fabric will help provide for the social, cultural, educational, recreational, and economic needs of its citizens. It is also important for City government to be accessible to individual citizens who want to become involved and also be responsive to citizen requests.

Gathering places also help to provide community feeling. The City can build public spaces and also encourage private developers to incorporate them into their projects. Goal CC-1 and the associated policies supply the framework necessary to supply Kirkland’s citizens with opportunities to support and be supported by the community as a whole.

Goal CC-1: Enhance Kirkland’s strong sense of community.

Policy CC-1.1: Support diversity in our population.

Local and regional demographic trends indicate that Kirkland’s population is becoming more diverse. An increased variety in ethnic, cultural, age, and income groups presents both challenges and opportunities, and provides the foundation for an interesting and healthy community. Kirkland should support programs and organizations that provide for all segments of our population.

Policy CC-1.2: Establish partnerships with service providers throughout the community to meet the City’s cultural, educational, economic, and social needs.

The City can best provide for the needs of its citizens by working with service providers such as nonprofit and faith-based organizations, schools, daycare providers, senior-citizen support groups, youth organizations, and groups that provide services to individuals and families having difficulty meeting their basic needs. Sharing information and resources with these providers is the most effective and economical way to meet the needs of Kirkland’s citizens. The City should encourage and support these service providers.

Policy CC-1.3: Support formal and informal community organizations.

In today’s mobile society, it is important to provide many opportunities for individuals to become a part of the community. Organizations such as neighborhood groups, youth and senior service providers, business and homeowner associations, social and recreational organizations, and service groups are all part of the Kirkland community. Encouragement and support of these organizations by the City helps citizens become involved in the community.

Festival at Marina Park

Policy CC-1.4: Encourage and develop places and events throughout the community where people can gather and interact.

Places where people can gather and interact are an important part of building community. They provide comfortable areas where people can come together. Some, including parks, community centers, the Cross Kirkland Corridor/Eastside Rail Corridor, streets, and sidewalks, are developed and maintained by the City. Other gathering places, such as cafes, theaters, pedestrian-friendly shopping districts, outdoor seating areas, gathering spaces, building entrances and plazas, should be encouraged by the City through development regulations.

Public art (any work of art or design specifically sited in a public place) often invites interaction, inspires a sense of discovery, cultivates civic identity and community pride, and encourages economic development. The City should encourage private developers to integrate public art into office, retail and multifamily projects. In addition, the City should seek opportunities to incentivize integrated art with an emphasis on development in design districts because they are highly visible, mixed-use, pedestrian oriented areas that are focal points for community activity.

Community events such as outdoor markets, celebrations, fairs, and annual festivals also provide a sense of community, history, and continuity. The City should encourage these events.

Policy CC-1.5: Work toward a safe, crime-free community.

Safety is a critical part of a strong community. A community’s safety is dependent not only on the Police and Fire Departments, and Emergency Management Services, but also on the community itself. The City should support educational and community programs that provide citizens with the information and tools necessary to work toward a safe community and to be prepared in case of an area-wide emergency. In addition, the City should support design standards that promote safety and discourage crime in new development.

Water Bearers at David E. Brink Park

Policy CC-1.6: Create a supportive environment for art, historical, and cultural activities.

Cultural activities are more than just amenities; they are also an expression of identity for both the community as a whole and the individuals within. Cultural activities and the arts contribute to the economic vitality of the community by attracting tourism and businesses that want to locate in a community with valued amenities. Kirkland has a growing reputation as a destination for the arts, culture and historic resources in the Puget Sound region. The City’s Cultural Arts Commission is a resource and partner for those agencies and individuals interested in expanding the arts in our community. Under the guidance of the Cultural Arts Commission, the City has a public arts program, which includes donations and loans from private citizens as well as City-owned pieces. These pieces of sculpture and other art objects are displayed around Kirkland and at City Hall. The City has committed to further promote the public arts program by incorporating art into new City facilities through earmarking one percent of major capital improvement project funds toward the arts.

The City of Kirkland Parks and Community Services provides recreation programs. The Kirkland Performance Center offers exposure to the performing arts, as do community and educational organizations. The Kirkland Arts Center offers art classes and exhibitions. There are also a number of private galleries and classes offered. These public and private enterprises provide educational tools that can bring people together and foster a sense of community spirit and pride. Where possible, the City should continue to encourage partnerships and provide support to these and similar efforts including those related to youth activities, science, music, arts education and literature.

Policy CC-1.7: Within the Cross Kirkland Corridor/Eastside Rail Corridor, provide opportunities for open space, art, events, and cultural activities.

As envisioned in the approved Cross Kirkland Corridor Master Plan, development of the CKC Corridor/Eastside Rail Corridor as a public facility will provide many opportunities to connect the community, businesses and neighborhoods together. Integrating art, pedestrian and bicycle improvements and trails, events and cultural activities into the Corridor provide public amenities to be enjoyed by all.

Historic Resources

Historic resources connect the community with the City’s past providing a sense of continuity and permanence. Recognition and preservation of historic resources are essential to the long-term maintenance of the City’s character. The key is the commitment of the community to the identification, maintenance, renovation, and reuse of buildings and sites important to our history. These resources may represent architectural styles or development patterns such as small lots typical of specific periods in the past. They may also represent places associated with notable historic persons or important events.

A significant number of the historic resources in Kirkland already have been identified and mapped. Neighborhoods that have been identified as having the most significant concentrations of historic resources are Market, Norkirk, Highlands and Moss Bay (Downtown and perimeter area). There also are scattered historic buildings, structures, sites and objects throughout other neighborhoods.

Historic resources enhance the experience of living in Kirkland. These unique historic and heritage resources of Kirkland should become a key element in the urban design of Downtown and older neighborhoods surrounding it, so that they will remain an integral part of the experience of living in Kirkland.

Goal CC-2: Preserve and enhance Kirkland’s historic identity.

Policy CC-2.1: Preserve historic resources and landmarks of recognized significance.

The preservation of resources that are unique to Kirkland or exemplify past development periods is important to Kirkland’s identity and heritage. The City, the Kirkland Heritage Society, and Kirkland’s citizens can utilize a variety of methods to preserve historic resources and landmarks, including the following, which are listed in order of priority:

♦    Retain historic buildings by finding a compatible use that requires minimal alteration.

♦    Design new projects to sensitively incorporate the historic building on its original site, if the proposed development project encompasses an area larger than the site of the historic resource.

♦    Retain and repair the architectural features that distinguish a building as an historic resource.

♦    Restore architectural or landscape/streetscape features that have been destroyed.

♦    Move historic buildings to a location that will provide an environment similar to the original location.

♦    Provide for rehabilitation of another historic building elsewhere to replace a building that is demolished or has its historic features destroyed.

♦    Provide a record and interpretation of demolished or relocated structures by photographs, markers and other documentation.

Policy CC-2.2: Identify and prioritize historic buildings, structures, sites and objects for protection, enhancement, and recognition.

Although age is an important factor in determining the historical significance of a building, structure, site or object (a minimum of 50 years for the National and State Register and 40 years for the City of Kirkland register), other factors, such as the integrity of the building, architecture, location and relationship to notable persons or events of the past, also are important.

Table CC-1 identifies Designated Historic Buildings, Structures, Sites and Objects in Kirkland and Figure CC-1 identifies the location.

Historic structure Marsh Mansion

The City of Kirkland recognizes these buildings, structures, sites and objects on List A and List B in Table CC-1. All are designated Historic Community Landmarks by the City of Kirkland. The lists also contain “Landmarks,” designated by the Kirkland Landmark Commission, and “Historic Landmarks,” designated pursuant to Chapter 75 KZC.

Development permits involving buildings, structures, sites and objects in Table CC-1 are subject to environmental review under the City’s local SEPA regulations. In addition, landmarks noted with a footnote (*) are subject to review by the Kirkland Landmark Commission pursuant to Kirkland Municipal Code Title 28. The Kirkland Landmark Commission is composed of members of the King County Landmark Commission and one Kirkland resident appointed by the Kirkland City Council. City of Kirkland “Historic Landmarks” noted with a footnote (¥) are subject to review by Chapter 75 KZC.

Figure CC-1: Designated Historic Buildings, Structures, Sites and Objects

Table CC-1

Designated Historic Buildings, Structures, Sites and Objects.

List A: Historic Buildings, Structures, Sites and Objects Listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places and Designated by the City of Kirkland

Building or Site	Address	Architectural Style	Date Built	Person/Event	Neighborhood
Loomis House	304 8th Ave. W.	Queen Anne	1889	KL&IC	Market
Sears Building	701 Market St.	Italianate	1891	Sears, KL&IC	Market
Campbell Building	702 Market St.		1891	Brooks	Norkirk
*Peter Kirk Building	620 Market St.	Romanesque Revival	1891	Kirk, KL&IC	Norkirk
Buchanan House (formerly known as Trueblood House)	129 6th Ave. (moved from 127 7th Ave.)	Italianate	1889	Trueblood	Norkirk
*Kirkland Woman’s Club	407 1st St.	Vernacular	1925	Founders 5	Norkirk
¥Marsh Mansion	6610 Lake Wash. Blvd.	French Ecl Revival	1929	Marsh	Lakeview
Kellett/Harris House	526 10th Ave. W.	Queen Anne	1889	Kellett	Market

List B: Historic Buildings, Structures, Sites and Objects Designated by the City of Kirkland 

Building or Site	Address	Architectural Style	Date Built	Person/Event	Neighborhood
Newberry House	519 1st St.	Vernacular	1909	Newberry	Norkirk
Nettleton/Green Funeral (Moved)	408 State St. S	Colonial Revival	1914	Nettleton	Moss Bay
Kirkland Cannery	640 8th Ave.	Vernacular	1935	WPA Bldg	Norkirk
Landry House	8016 126th Ave. NE	Bungalow	1904		South Rose Hill
Tompkins/Bucklin House	202 5th Ave. W.	Vernacular	1889	Tompkins	Market
Burr House	508 8th Ave. W.	Bungalow/Prairie	1920	Burr	Market
Orton House (moved from 6436 Lake Washington Blvd.)	4120 Lake Wash. Blvd.	Georgian Revival	1903	Hospital	Lakeview
¥Shumway Mansion (moved)	11410 100th Ave. NE	Craftsman/Shingle	1909	Shumways	Juanita
French House (moved from 10129 NE 63rd)	4130 Lake Wash. Blvd.	Vernacular	1874	French	Lakeview
Snyder/Moody House	514 10th Ave. W.	Vernacular	1889	KL&IC	Market
McLaughlin House	400 7th Ave. W.	Site only – Structure demolished May 2014	1889	KL&IC	Market
First Baptist Church/American Legion Hall	138 5th Ave.	Site only – Structure demolished	1891/1934	Am Legion	Norkirk
Larson/Higgins House	424 8th Ave. W.		1889	KL&IC	Market
Hitter House	428 10th Ave. W.	Queen Anne	1889	KL&IC	Market
Cedarmere/Norman House	630 11th Ave. W.	Am Foursquare	1895		Market
Dorr Forbes House	11829 97th Ave. NE	Vernacular	1906	Forbes	Juanita
Brooks Building	609 Market St.	Vernacular Comm	1904	Brooks	Market
Williams Building	101 Lake St. S.	Vernacular Comm	1930		Moss Bay
Webb Building	89 Kirkland Ave.	Vernacular Comm	1930		Moss Bay
5th Brick Building	720 1/2 Market St.	Vernacular Comm	1891		Norkirk
Shumway Site	510 – 528 Lake St. S.	Site only		Shumways	Lakeview
Lake WA Shipyards Site	Lake Wash. Blvd./Carillon Point	Site only		Anderson/WW	Lakeview
Lake House Site	10127 NE 59th St.	Site only		Hotel	Lakeview
*First Church of Christ Scientist (moved) a.k.a. Heritage Hall	203 Market St.	Neoclassical	1923	Best example of this style	Market
¥Malm House	12656 100th Ave. NE	Tudor Revival	1929		North Juanita
Sessions Funeral Home	302 1st St.	Classic Vernacular	1923		Norkirk
Houghton Church Bell (Object)	105 5th Ave. (Kirkland Congregational Church)	Pioneer/Religion	1881	Mrs. William S. Houghton	Norkirk
Captain Anderson Clock (Object)	NW corner of Lake St. and Kirkland Ave.	Transportation/Ferries	c. 1935	Captain Anderson	Moss Bay
Archway from Kirkland Junior High	109 Waverly Way (Heritage Park)	Collegiate Gothic	1932	WPA	Market
Langdon House and Homestead	10836 NE 116th St. (McAuliffe Park)	Residential Vernacular	1887	Harry Langdon	Juanita
Ostberg Barn	10836 NE 116th St. (McAuliffe Park)	Barn	1905	Agriculture	Juanita
Johnson Residence	10814 NE 116th St. (McAuliffe Park)	Vernacular influenced by Tudor Revival	1928	Agriculture	Juanita
Carillon Woods Park	NW corner of NE 53rd St. and 106th Avenue NE	Utility/water source for Yarrow Bay and site	1888	King Co. Water District #1	Central Houghton
¥346 10th Ave. Residence	346 10th Ave.	Bungalow	1921		Norkirk
¥307 9th Ave. Residence	307 9th Ave.	Craftsman	1918		Norkirk
*Barth House	7304 122nd Ave. NE	Residential Vernacular	1912	Barth Family	South Rose Hill

Footnotes:

*    The City of Kirkland Landmark Commission has formally designated these buildings, structures, sites and objects as Landmarks pursuant to KMC Title 28.

¥    The City of Kirkland has formally designated these buildings, structures, sites and objects as Historic Landmarks pursuant to Chapter 75 KZC.

Note: KL&IC is the Kirkland Land and Improvement Company.

The City recognizes its historic resources in the following priority:

1.    Buildings, structures, sites and objects listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places.

2.    Buildings, structures, sites and objects recognized by the Kirkland Landmark Commission.

3.    Buildings, structures, sites and objects designated by the City as Historic Landmarks.

4.    Buildings, structures, sites and objects designated by the City as Historic Community Landmarks.

5.    Buildings, structures, sites and objects designated by the City as an historic resource, providing historical context.

The City should periodically update the lists of historic resources through a systematic process of designation.

Policy CC-2.3: Provide encouragement, assistance and incentives to private owners for preservation, restoration, redevelopment, reuse, and recognition of significant historic buildings, structures, sites and objects.

There are a number of activities that the City can do to provide encouragement and incentives for the owners of historic buildings, structures, sites and objects, including:

♦    Establish Zoning and Building Codes that encourage the continued preservation, enhancement, and recognition of significant historic resources;

♦    Reuse or salvage architectural features and building materials in the design of new development;

♦    Encourage the preservation or enhancement of significant historic resources or commitment through historic overlay zones as a public benefit when planned unit developments are proposed;

♦    Prepare and distribute a catalog of historic resources for use by property owners, developers and the public;

♦    Maintain an interlocal agreement with King County that provides utilization of the County’s expertise in administering historic preservation efforts and makes owners of Kirkland’s historic buildings, structures, sites and objects eligible for County grants and loans;

♦    Establish a public/private partnership to provide an intervention fund to purchase, relocate, or provide for other necessary emergency actions needed to preserve priority buildings, structures, sites and objects;

♦    Encourage property owners to utilize government incentives available for historic buildings, structures, sites and objects;

♦    Allow compatible uses in historic structures that may assist in their continued economic viability such as bed and breakfasts in larger residential structures.

Policy CC-2.4: Buildings that are recognized as historic resources by the City should be considered when adjacent structures are being rebuilt or remodeled.

Historic resources contribute to the character and quality of Kirkland. New and remodeled buildings should respect the scale and design features of adjacent historic resources.

Policy CC-2.5: Encourage the use of visual and oral records to identify and interpret the history of the City of Kirkland.

This can be done in various ways, including articles in Citywide publications, a museum to preserve and display documents and artifacts, and archives to maintain resources, including oral history and photographs, for the public.

The City’s system of historic signage, which includes plaques to interpret significant buildings, structures, sites and objects, should be expanded. While historic street signs have been hung along with existing street signs, interpretive markers could be placed along public streets, pedestrian-bike paths and the Cross Kirkland Corridor/Eastside Road Corridor to explain the City’s history.

All these methods can be used to inform Kirkland’s citizens about the City’s history and to support the preservation of Kirkland’s historic identity.

Accommodating Change

The last 20 years have seen remarkable changes in the way people and businesses interact and connect. The innovations of technology, new techniques for almost-instant communication, increased density and traffic, increased multimodal transportation alternatives, new housing options and legislative actions relating to growth management are some of the changes Kirkland has witnessed. The large annexation of Finn Hill, North Juanita, and Kingsgate neighborhoods in 2011 increased the population of Kirkland by over 60 percent. There also have been changes in the characteristics of Kirkland’s citizens, including increased diversity and an aging of the population.

The intent of Goal CC-3 and the following policies is to ensure that the City continues to recognize and respond to future changes in a way that is sensitive to Kirkland’s character and the needs of our citizens.

Goal CC-3: Accommodate change within the Kirkland community and the region in a way that maintains Kirkland’s livability and beauty.

Policy CC-3.1: Identify and monitor specific indicators of quality-of-life for Kirkland residents.

Quality-of-life indicators provide information that reflects the status of the City. They include, but are not limited to, housing affordability and availability, shops and services close to home, well-maintained neighborhoods, public health and safety, parks, historic resources, citizen participation, natural resource protection, pedestrian and bike friendliness, community gathering places, and well respected schools. By measuring public opinion on changes in the levels of these indicators, the City can determine where support and changes are needed. The City should develop various community outreach programs such as surveys, websites, social forums, cable channel programs and open houses to measure these indicators and work towards evaluating and implementing their results.

Policy CC-3.2: Ensure that City policies are consistent with, and responsive to, evolving changes in demographics and technology.

As Kirkland’s population grows and changes, the needs and interests of its citizens also will change. Examples of these changes include the increase in the senior citizen population with its unique requirements, the increase in ethnic diversity, and increases in density, and the change in economic diversity within Kirkland. It is important for the City to accommodate changes in population demographics and density while maintaining the qualities and special features which make Kirkland unique.

Advances in technology have changed the lifestyles of Kirkland’s citizens. New communication technology has increased the use of remote office siting and telecommuting. New transportation technology may change transportation patterns both locally and regionally. New construction techniques and materials are resulting in greater efficiency and economy.

The City’s policies and regulations should recognize and work with these changes as they unfold, while maintaining the qualities and features which make Kirkland unique.

Built and Natural Environment

Kirkland is fortunate to have fine qualities and a well-established identity based on a unique physical setting and development pattern. Kirkland is a great place to live, work and play, where many people can reach their daily services within a short walking distance. See the Land Use Element for more discussion. The Comprehensive Plan recognizes many urban design principles that contribute to Kirkland’s identity, such as gateways, views, scenic corridors, waterfront access, historic sites, building scale, manmade and natural landmarks, and pedestrian and bicycle linkages.

As the built environment continues to change and densify, these design principles along with development regulations are used to maintain the quality of life in the community. Neighborhood identity, building design, protected public views, and mitigated impacts, such as noise and lighting, are some of the important factors that maintain and even improve this quality of life.

Goal CC-4: Maintain and enhance Kirkland’s built and natural environment by strengthening the visual identity of Kirkland and its neighborhoods.

Policy CC-4.1: Enhance City identity by use of urban design principles that recognize the unique characteristics of different types of development, including single-family, multifamily, mixed-use, and various types and sizes of commercial development.

Urban design recognizes that a City’s physical setting and manmade patterns collectively form its visual character, its neighborhoods and its business districts. In Kirkland, urban design should protect defining features, respect existing surroundings, and allow for diversity between different parts of the City. The urban design principles outlined in an appendix to the Comprehensive Plan and adopted by reference in the Kirkland Municipal Code and the corresponding design regulations in the Zoning Code ensure that new development will enhance Kirkland’s sense of place.

Policy CC-4.2: Prohibit gated developments.

Kirkland strives to be an open, welcoming community with inviting neighborhoods and a strong social fabric. These values can be supported by allowing public access throughout the community. Gates that restrict public access and connections through developments have an exclusionary effect and detract from a friendly, open neighborhood image. This policy is not intended to restrict fences with gates around individual single-family homes, gated multifamily parking garages, gated multifamily interior courtyards, or similar private spaces.

Policy CC-4.3: Encourage quality designs for institutional and community facilities that reinforce their symbolic importance and create distinctive reference points in the community.

Government facilities, schools, churches, libraries and other civic buildings serve as meeting places and play an important role in the community. These public and semipublic buildings should display exemplary design with attention to site planning, building scale, landscaping, pedestrian amenities, building details, and opportunities for integrating art into the project. They should be compatible with the neighborhood in which they are located, but can also provide a neighborhood landmark. Community structures such as City Hall, park and recreational facilities, libraries or other civic buildings should be designed to be landmarks for the City as a whole.

Policy CC-4.4: Maintain and enhance connections between neighborhoods and to the waterfront, parks, and the Cross Kirkland Corridor/Eastside Rail Corridor.

The ability to walk or bike from Kirkland’s activity areas and neighborhoods to Lake Washington, parks and the Cross Kirkland Corridor is an important value and often a reason people choose to live and do business here. The Transportation, Shoreline, Parks and Land Use Elements include other initiatives that support our connectivity and shoreline access goals.

Policy CC-4.5: Protect public scenic views and view corridors.

Public views of the City, surrounding hillsides, Lake Washington, Seattle, the Cascades and the Olympics are valuable not only for their beauty but also for the sense of orientation and identity that they provide. Almost every area in Kirkland has streets and other public spaces that allow our citizens and visitors to enjoy such views. View corridors along Lake Washington’s shoreline are particularly important and should continue to be enhanced as new development occurs. Public views can be easily lost or impaired and it is almost impossible to create new ones. Preservation, therefore, is critical.

Private views are only protected where specifically mentioned in some of the neighborhood plan chapters of the Comprehensive Plan and in the City’s development regulations.

Policy CC-4.6: Preserve and enhance natural landforms, vegetation, and scenic areas that contribute to the City’s identity and visually define the community, its neighborhoods and districts.

Natural landforms such as hills, ridges and valleys are valuable because they provide topographic variety, visually define districts and neighborhoods while providing open space corridors that visually and physically link them, and give form and identity to the City. Open space and areas of natural vegetation are valuable because they accentuate natural topography, define the edges of districts and neighborhoods, and provide a unifying framework and natural contrast to the City’s streets, buildings and structures.

Planting of landscaping and trees improves the community character. Vegetated roofs add to the greenscape and help to achieve the City’s low impact development and greenhouse reduction goals. Street trees provide a consistent, unifying appearance, particularly in areas with varying building design and materials, and signage. However, street trees planted along rights-of-way that offer local and territorial views should be of a variety that will minimize view blockage as trees mature.

Several neighborhoods contain unique natural features, including significant stands of trees and individual heritage trees, unique landforms, wetlands, streams, woodlands, natural shorelines, and scenic open space. In many cases, development activities, including structures or facilities designed to correct other environmental problems, may damage these natural amenity areas. Wherever possible, unique natural features should be preserved or rehabilitated. Should areas with unique natural features be incorporated into new development or rehabilitated, great care should be taken to ensure these areas are not damaged or adversely altered. The intent of this policy is not to prohibit development but to regulate development activities to ensure they maintain the inherent values of the natural landscape.

Policy CC-4.7: Enhance City and neighborhood identity through features that provide a quality image that reflects the City’s unique characteristics and vision.

Kirkland and its neighborhoods are special places. Each neighborhood has a distinctive identity which contributes to the community’s image. Appropriate transitions are also necessary to distinguish the City from surrounding jurisdictions. Community signs, public art, and other gateway treatments such as landscaping are methods of identification that contribute to the visual impressions and understanding of the community. Other identification methods and entranceway treatments can communicate the City’s origin and history, economic base, physical form, and relation to the natural setting.

Policy CC-4.8: Provide public information signs that present clear and consistent information and a quality image of the City.

Public signs are needed to supply information about public facilities, such as bus, pedestrian and bicycle routes, municipal parking lots, and City offices. The primary function of these signs is to present information about the location of public facilities and services in a clear and concise fashion using a consistent way-finding system of graphics, colors, and sign types.

Policy CC-4.9: Implement sign regulations that equitably allow visibility in the display of commercial information and protect Kirkland’s visual character.

Commercial signs identify businesses and advertise goods and services. Although they may be larger and more visually prominent than public information signs, their placement and design should also respect the community’s visual character and identity and minimize visual impacts. By their nature, commercial signs are prominent in the landscape and thus should receive as much design consideration as other site development components. Signs should be located on the same lot or property as the use, building, or event with which the sign is associated.

Sign regulations should be applied consistently to provide equity and protect the community’s visual character and identity. A Master Sign Plan should allow deviations from the standard code requirements, where appropriate, to encourage integration of signs into the framework of the building and the subject property through the use of elements that create visual harmony and a consistent design theme on a site. There also should be special sign restrictions to preserve the unique character of each of the City’s commercial districts and designated corridors.

The corner of Central Way and Lake Street

Policy CC-4.10: Maintain and enhance the appearance of streets and other public spaces.

Public spaces perform a variety of functions, and their design and maintenance make an important contribution to the character of the community. They provide places for people to congregate and furnish transitions between neighborhoods. Parks and open space areas such as Forbes Lake, Totem Lake, Yarrow Bay Wetlands, O.O. Denny Park, Big Finn Hill Park and Juanita Bay Park support valuable wildlife. Amenities such as public art, street trees, landscaped median strips, underground utility lines, public street lights, and various types of street furniture add to the appearance of streets and make them more inviting. The City should continue to maintain and enhance these public areas.

Policy CC-4.11: Minimize impacts on residential neighborhoods.

As the community becomes more urban with mixed uses and denser development, impacts, such as noise, lighting, glare and odor, may occur. The City should have development regulations and urban design principles to reduce and, in some cases, prohibit these impacts. Site design, building orientation, underground parking, landscape buffers, solid screen fencing, acoustical sound walls, directional lighting, limitation on business hours of operation, restricting outdoor storage of large vehicles, boats, trailers, storage containers and junk are some of the techniques that may be used.