2. VISION STATEMENT

The Moss Bay neighborhood contains a diverse mixture of jobs, housing, and parks, and is the cultural heart of Kirkland. Downtown Kirkland provides a strong sense of community identity for all of Kirkland. This identity comes from Downtown’s physical setting along the lakefront, its distinctive topography, the human scale of existing development, and, most importantly, the community that lives and works in Moss Bay. This identity is reinforced in the minds of Kirkland residents by Downtown’s historic role as the cultural and civic center of the community. The Moss Bay neighborhood is a key part of the Greater Downtown urban center and is a vibrant, walkable community where many choose to live, work, play, learn and worship.

Environmental protection and equity are fundamental characteristics of neighborhood life. Amenities such as parks, green space, community gardens, and shorelines have been preserved and refreshed, with new public access points. Additional recreational facilities have been created to serve community members of all ages and abilities, including a new major regional recreation center in Peter Kirk Park. This has increased awareness of equity and inclusion so that parks, trails and other amenities serve the entire community, including people who have not been able to enjoy them historically. The community has embraced sustainability and more energy-efficient buildings and clean renewable energy infrastructure such as solar arrays, geothermal systems, and wind turbines. In addition, the prevalence of rain gardens and green roofs keep stormwater quality and quantity manageable and enhances the ecological integrity of streams and wetlands, Lake Washington, and aquatic life. These inclusive priorities have led to a healthier natural environment and overall community.

The community has made it a priority to ensure that people who wish to live in this desirable neighborhood, including people of all incomes who work in or near Downtown, can afford to do so. Creating new housing options in Moss Bay resulted from an imaginative look at new ways of housing people, and housing choices in Downtown now include co-housing, residential suites, and family-sized apartments and condominiums. Success was achieved and embraced by residents as this welcome change to the area’s housing stock still allowed for views to be enjoyed, did not add to congestion or parking issues, made more effective use of existing parking, and located new homes near multi-modal transportation corridors and hubs, such as the NE 85th Street Bus Rapid Transit station and the Cross Kirkland Corridor. The community’s design and its dedication to equity and inclusion has transformed the Moss Bay neighborhood into a national model for sustainable urban living.

At the same time, small businesses in Downtown are thriving. Ground-floor spaces are occupied by a mix of businesses that generate pedestrian activity and benefit from a compact, walkable street network. The small scale of commercial spaces in much of Downtown ensures that bricks-and-mortar locations are unique and accessible to new business owners. New shops and restaurants serve the burgeoning residential and employment population of Moss Bay, and neighborhood-serving home-based businesses help support the local economy outside.

Moss Bay is a safe, clean and diverse neighborhood where you don’t need a car to get around quickly and efficiently. If you do drive, there is enough parking to meet demand for businesses, residents and visitors alike. It is the most walkable neighborhood in Kirkland. The pedestrian connections and protected bike lanes link seamlessly to a transit network that is aligned in moving many people and has worked as planned. The Cross Kirkland Corridor and numerous connections to NE 85th Street (Central Way) support multi-modal travel to destinations throughout the Greater Downtown urban center and the region. In addition, the first ever urban gondola system in the Puget Sound Region shuttles passengers from the Downtown Transit Center to the Bus Rapid Transit station, which connects to the regional light rail network. Investments in regional facilities and transportation and mobility infrastructure for the neighborhood has ensured that Moss Bay feels like a small town while growing gracefully to welcome more people to enjoy this place that community members love.