We recently moved to the Finn Hill area in Kirkland, and our neighbors recommended having a backup power supply since outages happen occasionally, and PSE can be slow with repairs. I looked into the Tesla Powerwall, which is installed by Pure Light Power, but after speaking with their rep, they seemed pretty shady and claimed they were the only installers. Curious what backup solutions you use? Ideally, I’d like something battery-based that can power the house for 3–4 days, but I’m open to other options.

Bastyr already requested amendments to their master plan for development of market rate housing with City of Kenmore despite asking for employee feedback yesterday!!!

Hey Bastyr employees!

I know that Byrd wanted input from employees at the townhall yesterday but it appears that he has already submitted the necessary amendments and proposal to the City of Kenmore to develop housing on the Bastyr property.

Ask yourselves why he is not being transparent and why he wasted everybody's time with the ridiculous townhall and breakout sessions "to get feedback."

It was on the agenda for the special meeting of the City of Kenmore City Council for January 13th: https://kenmore.civicweb.net/filepro/document/260352/City%20Council%20Special%20Meeting-%20Jan%2013%202025%20-%20Agenda%20-%20Pdf.pdf

From page 209 of the special meeting agenda: Bastyr Comp Plan Update, Zoning Code Update, and Master Plan Update. Bastyr University submitted a docket application with the intent to sell underutilized land on the campus for development of market-rate housing. Bastyr is proposing to amend the “Special Study Area” description in Policy LU-2.1.2; Land Use Element, amend the PSP zoning regulations in KMC 18.27.010 to allow multi-family, market rate housing, and also update the original Bastyr University Master Plan, which was approved in 2009 and extended through 2025 through a Development Agreement minor amendment process.

It was also on the agenda for the City of Kenmore Planning Commission meeting on January 7th: https://kenmore.civicweb.net/filepro/document/260170/Planning%20Commission%20-%20Jan%2007%202025%20-%20Agenda%20-%20Pdf.pdf

From page 204 of the Planning Commission agenda: The only housing type referenced in the approved master plan is student dormitory housing. The docket request for market rate housing requires amendments to the comprehensive plan, zoning regulations and master plan.

This proposal will promote the retention of Bastyr, an existing business/institution, by providing a necessary revenue stream and invigorating its campus by adding high-quality housing for the Bastyr community and Kenmore residents. Bastyr is requesting this application be reviewed in 2025 due to the need for a financially sustainable path forward now and so that its future in Kenmore is secure. Per the University, this effort cannot be delayed to a future subarea or plan amendment process.

Umm so… hmm…

Would like a friend to stay active with…. A gym buddy? Go kayaking or hiking or bicycling….

Just a dude working in big tech in Seattle but been living in Kirkland for almost a year now and it has not been easy to find a friend or group to join for activities…

If y’all know of a bicycling or fitness or activity group willing to take in a newbie/rookie … hi 👋

If anyone living near Snyder Corner and want to workout together… hi 👋

Anyone living in Kirkland want to have a friend/brother in fitness … hi 👋

Embarrassed to post this but 🤷‍♂️

—strictly nothing sexual or perverted. Please.

Hi everyone! A little late for monday updates but wanted to provide some news and events I found happening in Kirkland. Hope you all like it and if you want more check out Headline or Seastside :) Just trying to provide a little help to everyone!

News:

• Kirkland Council Recap: Legislative agenda discussions, traffic updates, and proclamations were made for Lunar New Year and Racial Healing Day. (info)

• Jim Lopez Named Kirklander of the Year: Recognized for contributions to civic engagement and diversity initiatives. (info)

• Traffic Alerts: Ongoing construction impacts 100th Ave NE, 116th Ave NE, and more. Expect delays! (info)

Events:

• Lunar New Year Celebration: Feb. 1, 2-4 PM. (info)

• Hearts & Hounds Valentine’s Day Event: Feb. 15, 11 AM - 1 PM. (info)

• Shelby Earl Concert: Mar. 14, 7-9 PM. (info)

Looking for some help to find an apartment to rent in the Bothell, Redmond, Kirkland area in March. Seeking a 2BR, 2 BA for $2600 +/- in a place where people enjoy living. Looked at numerous apartments that look great online but in person are not what was represented and the reviews are terrible. Hoping to receive some suggestions. Thank you.

Hi neighbors! I used AI to help me watch and summarize the council meeting from Jan 21 and thought you might want to know about the RapidRide K-Line transit project that's supposed to connect from Totem Lake all the way to South Bellevue. Here's the TL;DR:

What is it? The RapidRide K-Line will be a bus service running from Totem Lake, to DT Kirkland, to DT Bellevue, to Eastgate, with major improvements to make transit faster and more reliable.

Full Video: The full council meeting is on YouTube and the K-Line presentation starts at 4:17:28 https://www.youtube.com/live/cu1AgbXaQ4s?si=731vW8_x4Ziirfph&t=15448 I found it pretty interesting especially some of the powerpoint slides where they talk about Signal Priority (4:55:56) and projected ridership (4:30:54).

Key Points:

• Expected to launch in 2030
• Will serve ~5,000 riders per day (current 255 serves 2,900)
• Could save up to 26 minutes compared to regular bus service
• Will include 18 new station paired with real-time arrival info
• Major improvements to 108th Ave corridor (discussed 4:30:00 in)

What's changing Kirkland?

• New transit-priority traffic signals at 40+ intersections
• Bus-only turn lane at Transit Center during rush hour (at 4:27:25)
• Some changes to Central Way (including a new bus lane)

Next Steps:

• Metro presenting more details on Feb 18th
• Final route decisions coming in March
• Big federal grant application happening fall 2025

Worth Noting: Several council members emphasized this shouldn't impact existing 255 service. They're pushing Metro to ensure this adds service rather than just replacing what we have.

Interesting tidbit: When they've launched RapidRide lines in other areas, ridership has often exceeded projections.

There's a lot more detail if anyone's interested - happy to share what I learned. Thoughts on the project?

https://preview.redd.it/m0znb2t08nfe1.png?width=1110&format=png&auto=webp&s=3940d05fa2cefe276181d7c613bddb48ea44c504

Background: I live in Bellevue near the Bellevue/Kirkland border and I'm trying to use AI to better keep up with what's going on in my local area by using AI to summarize the firehose of information from things like news releases and looooong city council meetings. I try to get to these meetings and then summarize them using AI Studio so I can find the sections I care about. I figured I'd try sharing things with folks too in case they find it interesting. If you found this helpful or learned something, please let me know and I'll keep posting to r/Kirkland Let me know if you have questions about this aspect as well.

Any recommendations for elite youth Baseball Coaching /training in the area ? Willing to drive 30 minutes.

Is it an unreasonable ask to protest the current administration by banning people wearing MAGA clothing from privately owned businesses? I'm a liberal living in the Eastside and it feels like hostile territory with all the MAGA swag/Tesla's and yard signage everywhere.

At this moment, Western democracies across the world are protesting fascism on our behalf. Yet on the east side, people are just acting like everything's businesses usual.

The Panthers Youth Rugby Club is a Redmond based rugby club and we are always looking for more players (especially in the 12-14 age range right now).

For any young football or soccer players out there, rugby is a great off season alternative that will keep you fit, improve your tackling skills and focuses on player led strategy.

Our home field is at Marymoor and games start in early March. Don't worry if you have never played, we have new people joining all the time.

It's a fun contact sport that focuses on teamwork, discipline and respect.

Feel free to come give it a try; we'd love to see you. Practices are currently running Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturday.

I just learned that two kids were kit by a motorist at Finn Hill Middle School while walking home from school https://www.kirklandwa.gov/Whats-Happening/News/Two-Juveniles-Hit-by-Motorist-While-Walking-Home-from-School

Found out about it by listening to the public commentary from the Jan 7 Kirkland City Council Meeting, which is on YouTube (start about 2 hrs 34 minutes in). Though this news is sad, I'm glad that nobody died and also that some folks in the community mentioned it to the council in the hopes that we can make things better. Thanks, guys!

Key arguments:

• Kurt Dresner: Kirkland is a car-dependent city, and that it is important to provide alternative modes of transportation so that residents will not be forced to drive when they should not.

• Kyle Sullivan: While the incident is specific to one location, it's emblematic of larger safety issues and the lack of proper infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists throughout Kirkland. For example NE 60th St near Ben Franklin Elementary (no bike lanes, or speed bumps and cars go fast), and I thought this part was really moving.

Background: I live in Bellevue near the Bellevue/Kirkland border and I'm trying to use AI to better keep up with what's going on in my local area by using AI to summarize the firehose of information from things like news releases and looooong city council meetings. I try to get to these meetings and then summarize them using Google AI Studio so I can find the sections I care about. I figured I'd try sharing things with folks too in case they find it interesting. If you found this helpful or learned something, please let me know and I'll keep posting to r/Kirkland

I'm curious when tenants will start to move into the recently completed building between QFC and PCC. Has anyone heard any news?

The latest news I've seen on Phase 2 is from 2022, when construction on the building was just beginning.

At the time the Urbanist said the following.

Phase 2 of Kirkland Urban at 200 Peter Kirk Lane is an under construction 7-story office building with 266,054 square feet of office space, 4,274 square feet of retail space, a 47,966 square foot theater, and 764 parking stalls in a 3-level parking garage and on the surface

I’m looking for some fun indoor places to take my kids. We’re on a bit of a tight budget, so I’m hoping to find spots that are either free or not too expensive. Any recommendations for kid-friendly indoor activities or venues would be greatly appreciated!

Does anyone know of any local aquarist groups around Kirkland? I found a few on Facebook, but I am specifically hoping to make some connections with people who are interested in purchasing (or at least trading) some White Cloud Mountain Minnows. I also would really rather not use Facebook if that is possible largely because it’s a huge pain in the butt to use…perhaps that is wishful thinking. I plan on reaching out to a few of the Seattle-area aquarium shops with this question as well in the hopes that they have connections or would be interested in trading. I would also love to “talk shop” with other people who curate bioactive/natural cold water tanks as that seems to be a bit more niche in the hobby.

I currently have a single tank: fully cycled/established, heavily planted, cold water with mostly East Asian stream species. I have 5 active breeding adult WCMMs and easily about 25-30? fry of varying ages all hatched within the past 3.5 months; within the next couple of months, I will need to secure another breeding male to prevent inbreeding (specifically a longfin male as I am casually curious about WCMM genetics) and I will need to rehome at least a good chunk of the fry to lessen the load on the biological system as a whole.

If anyone knows of any local resources, please let me know. Thanks! :)

I’m looking for a new dentist around the Juanita area. I’ve been to Totem Lake Dental, but I’d like to explore other options. Can anyone recommend a great dentist nearby?

Does anyone know with the new state law does Evergreenhealth still drug screen for cannabis for new hires? I have a friend wanting to apply but scared to ask them & nothing online. Thank you

Has your city not addressed this yet? Perhaps contacting the Governor's office.

WA Transportation State is now using drones to help with clean up.

hi

I have a Pomeranian and I am looking for a groomer. I don't get his hair trimmed other than a sanitary cut. Just looking for a place that will bathe, brush (de-shed), trim nails, and trim sanitary areas. Thanks!

Need to move out soon-ish and I was wondering if you’ve heard of any business (or person) that needs to get rid of boxes.

Please comment with any leads!

Hi, our family is considering a move to Kirkland. Does anyone here send thier kids to The Spanish program at Einstein elementary? Any other dual language programs to consider? Our kids have always attended a Spanish immersion program and we would like to continue if possible. Our kids are currently in kindergarten and first grade. Thanks for any help or tips

I have a few perishable items from Costco that I would like to donate. They are unopened, individually wrapped and still have a couple weeks before their best buy date.

I am picky about meat and simply am not a fan of these steak bites. I know I can return them but I don’t want them to just get thrown away and would rather food get eaten.

Every food pantry/organization I found only takes non-perishable donations, does anyone know any local food pantries that take meat and other perishable food items?

About 3pm today 1/15/25 tons of cops around that area. There are a few people standing outside. I just left the area and cops are flooding the parking lot. Any idea what’s going on?

Hey guys - My boyfriend unexpectedly passed away a few months ago. His mom, who lives in Kirkland, has a birthday coming up this week. I'm based across the country, so am hoping to gift her something that I can send virtually for her to enjoy locally - like a gift card, tickets to an event or experience, etc.

I'd love to bring even a little light to what has otherwise been an extremely dark time for her and really want to nail this, but am not super familiar with the area - so I'm looking for any & all ideas or recommendations that you may have! In case helpful background, she's an active, intelligent, and friendly woman in her mid-to-late 50s. She's fun and has always struck me as pretty open-minded and adventurous. She's successful and travels somewhat frequently for work. She enjoys going out to eat occasionally, but otherwise sticks to a pretty specific diet. She has a small, super friendly dog that loves coming along as her sidekick when appropriate. I'm open to something that'd be just for her to enjoy on her own or that she could share with her long-term boyfriend, sister, or a friend.

I don't have a ton of money, but am definitely willing to splurge on her. It'd mean a lot to be able to give something thoughtful to demonstrate how loved she is, especially since it'll be her first time celebrating without her son. Feel free to let me know if any further info or details would be helpful. Thanks so much in advance!