B. The Land Use Concept

The fundamental goal of the Land Use Element is to maintain a balanced and complete community by retaining the community’s character and quality of life, while accommodating growth and minimizing traffic congestion and service delivery costs. To accomplish this, the Element:

♦    Seeks a compact and walkable community with shops, services and employment close to home; numerous civic activities and entertainment options; high-quality educational facilities; numerous parks; and a variety of housing choices;

♦    Identifies the values that must be weighed in managing growth. Goals and policies promote a land use pattern that is orderly, compact, well- designed, and responsive both to the natural and physical environment;

♦    Proposes a land use pattern that supports a multimodal transportation system and results in more efficient service delivery. Placing urban neighborhoods around commercial areas allows residents to walk or bicycle to corner stores or neighborhood centers, and then connect by transit to other commercial areas. High-capacity transit could connect and serve larger commercial areas, both inside and outside of the community;

♦    Protects existing residential neighborhoods. Goals and policies support a stable nucleus of single-family housing and more housing options. Higher-density residential areas continue to be located near commercial centers and transportation hubs;

♦    Supports a range of employment opportunities in the City and sets out standards for vibrant commercial areas. Opportunities for new growth are provided in the Totem Lake Center and Downtown Kirkland. Other existing commercial areas in the City are maintained and strengthened. While not encouraging heavy industry, goals and policies work to preserve opportunities for higher-paying jobs to locate in the City;

♦    Encourages preservation of an open space network, including environmentally sensitive areas, recreational facilities, and the shoreline; and

♦    Acknowledges the City’s regional role in working with other jurisdictions and the County to site regional facilities.