9. PARKS, RECREATION AND OPEN SPACE

Within the Subarea are passive and natural open spaces, active parks and recreation facilities including Forbes Lake Park, the Cross Kirkland Corridor, Everest Park, Rose Hill Meadows Park, a Pea Patch in Everest, and the Kirkland Cemetery. However, several of these facilities are located beyond an easy, accessible, 10-minute walk of the future BRT Station.

While there are existing natural assets within the Station Area, including Forbes Lake and areas of tree canopy and habitat, there are also gaps that exist due to urban development patterns and barriers. Station Area goals include improving and connecting tree canopy and habitat areas, improving stream health by daylighting, or making channel or riparian improvements, and generally minimizing impervious surfaces. Incorporating green infrastructure throughout buildings, private landscape areas, and the public realm, will support resilience through air and water quality, shade and cooling, and habitat. Multi-benefit strategies should be a part of all new and existing open space enhancement opportunities, serving functions of active/passive recreation, flexible use open space, and environmental functions like stormwater management, carbon sequestration, air quality, and urban heat island mitigation.

Planned future population and employment density in the Subarea will increase the demand for parks, open space, and pedestrian corridors. There are many opportunities to enhance the amount and types of open spaces provided within the Subarea, as described below within publicly owned property and as new development occurs. The potential for shared use agreements, as well as smaller-footprint urban open spaces on rooftops, plazas, and other locations should be explored.

Increasing open space within the Station Area will provide multiple benefits for employees, visitors, and residents living in and around the Subarea and these spaces will be critical in supporting growth while providing places for people to gather and support mental, physical, and community well-being. Open spaces that are welcoming to people of a wide range of ages and stages of life, that support social connections, physical activity, play and recreation opportunities for children and seniors, art, culture, and leisure activities, and everyday interactions should be prioritized in a way that aligns with the goals of the Parks, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) Plan and the Sustainability Master Plan. Indoor recreational spaces that can be used during periods of adverse weather should also be actively pursued, in conjunction with the PROS Plan.

Coordination with the PROS Plan on how park Level of Service (LOS) is defined in more urban areas of the City would assist the City in more equitably providing park access within a rapidly growing community. Strategies should be considered to more broadly leverage green infrastructure to create more open space, educational, and environmental opportunities.

Parks, Open Space Opportunities

The Station Area envisions a thriving, new walkable district with park amenities. Below are highlighted potential projects, or opportunities, identified with the Subarea Plan and in coordination with the PROS Plan. The Station Area Plan includes additional examples of various parks and open space and innovative opportunities within the Subarea that should be explored in the future.

Enhancing Public Parks, Recreation, Open Space Opportunities

Enhancing publicly owned land can support open space objectives with improvements that provide open space and recreational amenities. Exploring potential new partnerships for shared use agreements can support additional recreational uses. These actions will help to contribute to the overarching goal to provide all areas within the Station Area a park or open space within a 15-minute walk.

Forbes Lake Park

Preliminary planning to expand public open space and neighborhood connectivity near the City of Kirkland’s Forbes Lake Park as part of the Station Area Plan has been explored. Much of the lake and surrounding wetlands and tributary drainages to Forbes Creek are in public ownership. Connecting the community to these resources through boardwalks, trails, and critical area enhancement projects can provide opportunities for passive and active recreational public use, environmental education, and interpretive exhibits.

The Forbes Lake Park concept includes boardwalks that are a minimum of 10 feet wide to support two-way directional travel and ample space for people to walk and roll. The boardwalk would also provide easy, nonmotorized connections to North Rose Hill Woodlands Park as well as active transportation facilities nearby.

Figure 8: Forbes Lake Park Concept

Cross Kirkland Corridor, Norkirk Plaza, and Adjacent Public Works Maintenance Center

Implementing portions of the Cross Kirkland Corridor Master Plan within the Subarea is a fundamental goal. Additional CKC enhancements and linear parks could create multifunctional open space and transportation improvements similar to Feriton Spur Park. Coordinating with the NE 85th Street pedestrian/bike widening project could create open space opportunities, including potential covered recreational amenities.

Opportunities for open space, recreation, and connections to the CKC should be maximized by neighboring properties, consistent with the objectives established in the PROS Plan and CKC Master Plan.

The CKC Norkirk Plaza concept is located at the important intersection of 7th Avenue and 112th Avenue NE, where bike-focused infrastructure is envisioned to connect from the BRT pick up/drop off location to downtown. This concept builds on the CKC Master Plan vision and will support the creation of publicly accessible transit-oriented open space within the urban neighborhood. It is characterized by high quality landscape materials, pedestrian-oriented amenities like seating, and buildings that engage the open space.

Figure 9: Possible Norkirk Plaza/CKC Concept

Enhanced Connections to Peter Kirk and Everest Parks and Improvements

There are opportunities for enhanced connections to existing parks and the Cross Kirkland Corridor to help link together existing recreational spaces in, and close to, the Subarea. Peter Kirk Park and Everest Park, existing community parks located at or near the Subarea boundaries, provide opportunities to enhance routes to these community assets directly from the CKC. These connections reduce gaps in the pedestrian/bike system in the southwest area of the Station Area.

Private Provision of Publicly Accessible Parks/Open Space

New development within the Subarea should be incentivized and/or required to provide publicly accessible parks and sustainability components at ground level or at upper-level portions of the site. The City should seek opportunities to work in partnership with private development applicants to create publicly accessible open spaces in the Subarea that benefit public and private interests. Development opportunities should replace tree canopy to support ecological goals by adding new trees and habitat with plantings wherever gaps exist.

Parks and Open Space Goals and Policies

Goal SA-51:

Provide ample opportunity in the Station Area for community members to connect with active and passive recreation opportunities, open space, and managed natural areas.

Policy SA-52:

Where recreational parks spaces are pursued, include consideration of amenities to serve community members of all ages and stages of life.

Policy SA-53:

Identify and minimize gaps in equitable access to parks and open spaces in order to make more efficient use of existing parks and open spaces in the area.

Policy SA-54:

Implement the City’s adopted Parks, Recreation, and Open Space (PROS) Plan for urban level-of-service guidelines for the Station Area.

Policy SA-55:

Leverage public assets and partnerships, including excess WSDOT right-of-way, for potential active recreational areas, managed natural areas, stormwater treatment, and sustainable landscape areas.

Policy SA-56:

Expand access to and through Forbes Lake Park to provide multiple benefits of environmental enhancement and education, improved nonmotorized transportation connections, and access to open space and recreation.

Policy SA-57:

Enhance the Cross Kirkland Corridor to create recreational and open space amenities and improve active transportation connections to the Corridor.

Policy SA-58:

Integrate enhanced green spaces into other elements of the urban environment through strategies such as mid-block green connections that provide opportunities for landscaping and active and passive recreation.

Policy SA-59:

Provide incentives and zoning requirements for new development to provide on-site public open space (e.g., plazas, pocket parks, etc.), enhanced on-site common spaces, recreation amenities, and linear parks.

Policy SA-60:

Explore design strategies to enhance existing public access to and use of the Kirkland Cemetery, while being sensitive to the primary purpose of the cemetery.

Policy SA-61:

Pursue additional opportunities for indoor recreational facilities for organized sports and casual recreation.

Policy SA-62:

Consider how the City and development applicants can build pedestrian and bicycle connections to potential recreational and/or parks spaces in or near the Subarea such as the Houghton Park and Ride, and existing parks like Everest Park, Peter Kirk Park, and Taylor Fields Park.