Thank you for your interest in the 2007 Comprehensive Plan updates for the Touchstone (Park Place), Orni, and Altom private amendment requests (PARs).  View  a map of the subject properties here.

The City accepts Comprehensive Plan private amendment requests biennially.  The requests then go through a two phase process.  During Phase 1, the City Council decides which PARs are eligible for further study.  During Phase 2, those PARs that are to be studied go through a full analysis by the Planning Commission and a public review.  When this process is complete, the Planning Commission holds a public hearing and makes a recommendation to the City Council.  The Council then reviews the recommendation and either approves or denies each request which may include changes to the Zoning Code and Design Guidelines.  The review of these requests are part of the annual City initiated amendments to the Comprehensive Plan.

The City Council made a decision at their July 17, 2007 Council meeting (scroll down to date to view the agenda, minutes, and video) to further consider the Park Place, Orni, and Altom Comprehensive Plan PARs.  At that time, the Council also passed a resolution which directed the Design Review Board (DRB) to play a role in advising the Planning Commission on the Park Place PAR.

The role of the DRB during the annual amendment process will be to help staff and the Planning Commission develop appropriate Comprehensive Plan policies, development regulations, and design guidelines for the Park Place site.  The primary issues that the DRB will focus on will be site layout and building massing.  The DRB will review the conceptual development plans that the applicant has submitted and use them as a starting point for recommendations to the Planning Commission.  The Planning Commission and the DRB have begun their study of these three proposals.  A description of the proposals and the time line are shown below.

• Come to the Planning Commission and DRB meetings and voice your opinions.  Letters or email messages are encouraged.
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• If you have questions or input, contact Angela Ruggeri, Project Planner at (425) 587-3256 or at aruggeri@ci.kirkland.wa.us

Description of PARs


Touchstone Corporation

Private amendment request for the redevelopment of the existing Kirkland Park Place Center (Area A on the map).  The proposal includes up to 1.8 million square feet of office, retail, and hotel area and approximately 3,500 parking stalls.  The 11.5 acre site currently contains approximately 238,500 square feet of office and retail uses along with 745 parking stalls.

The applicant is requesting the following amendments to the  Comprehensive Plan and Zoning:

• Building height increase from 3-5 stories to 4-8 stories as measured from the grade of 6th Street and Central Way and to allow taller buildings next to Central Way and 6th Street.
• Building setback reduction from 20 feet to 0 feet on  Central Way and 6th Street, and possibly from 10 feet to 0 feet next to Peter Kirk Park, and possible flexibility in other regulations, such as lot coverage.

Katherine Orni

Private amendment request for the properties located at 825, 903, and 911 5th Avenue, east of the Post Office in the Moss Bay Nieghborhood (Area B on the map).  The request is to change the zoning from PLA 5D which does not allow office to PLA 5C.  PLA 5C allows office and additional height up to 60 feet above average building elevation or 6 stories whichever is less.  The existing zoning allows 40' above average building elevation or 4 stories whichever is less.  The site contains three legally non-conforming office buildings, which were allowed to be built because of a legal action that was taken when the zoning was originally put into place in 1979.


Rhoda Altom

Private amendment request for the property located at 220 6th Street in the Moss Bay Neighborhood (Area C on the map).  She is requesting a change in zoning from PLA 5B to PLA 5C to allow additional height up to 60 feet above average building elevation or 6 stories whichever is less.  She is also asking that the minimum lot size requirement of one acre for this additional height in the PLA 5 C be removed.

The study area for this PAR will include the site to the north of hte Altom property.  The site is between the Altom property and the PLA 5C (Area C on the map).

• Chapters 1-3 (3mb)
• Chapters 4-6 (8.3mb)
• Appendices (2.8mb)

The alternatives for the 3 private amendment requests have been analyzed in the DEIS.  This analysis will help the Planning Commission to determine a preferred alternative.  The preferred alternative will be used in the development of the final Comprehensive Plan policies, development regulations, and design guidelines for the area that will be recommended to the City Council.  The final Planned Action EIS is expected to be issued in August of 2008 and the Council decision on the three PARs will occur in September of 2008.  Click here to view the complete timeline.