[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6271932,"mediaKeyId","3028410-18d1caa320bba6a85d35963dd5c62b5b","parentId",3028410,"title","Seattle Kraken team and Generator Studio submit RFQ response for Kirkland IcePlex; city reviewing public‑private proposal","audioSeconds",821,"startMs",3233000,"endMs",4054000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3028410-18d1caa320bba6a85d35963dd5c62b5b&start=3233&end=4054","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3028410-18d1caa320bba6a85d35963dd5c62b5b/thumbnail_3233000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6271932/Kirkland/King-County/Washington/Seattle-Kraken-team-and-Generator-Studio-submit-RFQ-response-for-Kirkland-IcePlex-city-reviewing-publicprivate-proposal","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6271932-a102499cdde8d7c5a9387bcc9f041d09/orig.mp4?Expires=1770420770&Signature=cFT~g6l75D-Sb-WYYLEItOfKJLk~t-M-MhhUh8ZWZrp8Axu-NnhxXh1h6V4PLN~d2j7-BDYIH~eaZzEZpkt5Y26G-h1mzIr1Yejx2EyTJfujR~4hm30oZ8bUdU~R1~lt1F5uPDZ7CT3Ia6HHYbeWbijdXt-Z9Ku0tmRmH2UrgU2nws1l8Hm8iOmrAAq-QGCGFdjzk~71LxxVNomj90TvFBOcEz5dmPz3ivk0M-~mGpOan3XkyL69NTiqEPdfikAhavbU0WlZnYmS0FCVJszEWvgw~8VqL6hdS4-M0hUrPSs14A9tcQnOVcCQYg8J-67TcPTSgNUrGPHvS9hm6a7HsQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Kirkland City, WA","date","2025-04-17T00:32:15.697Z","article","Kirkland staff told the City Council they have received one proposal in response to the city's request for qualifications (RFQ) for a potential IcePlex and community center: a joint submission from the Seattle Kraken and Generator Studio. Staff is reviewing the submittal and will bring a recommendation to council on whether to move forward with negotiations and agreements.

Deputy City Manager Jim Lopez and Lynn Zwagstra, Parks and Community Services director, briefed the council on the RFQ status, a draft timeline and anticipated negotiation topics. Lopez said council previously authorized staff to explore a public‑private partnership after the city declined to pursue an aquatic center; since March 2024 staff have completed an economic feasibility analysis (CAA ICON) and negotiated a framework for how a deal could proceed.

The RFQ package was a single submittal, Lopez said, from the Kraken and Generator Studio. The submission lists Kraken executives and Generator Studio project leads who have worked on similar facilities, including the Northgate community ice facility and the Seahawks training facility. The RFQ proposes that the Kraken carry the full cost of developing and constructing the facility; Lopez emphasized that the proposal is structured so the city would not be required to raise new property taxes for construction.

What city staff would negotiate if council directs them to proceed
- A ground lease granting development rights and property terms.
- A development agreement that would specify design standards, construction expectations, and timelines.
- An operating agreement setting community access levels, use priorities, maintenance responsibilities and public‑benefit provisions.

Lopez described public‑benefit topics that staff expects to negotiate: broad community access beyond the recreational center footprint, free or low‑cost programs for low‑income residents, youth camps and childcare spaces, and parking mitigation or fees to offset city operating costs. The Kraken team, according to staff, proposed that after a long term (for example 30 years) ownership would revert to the City of Kirkland.

Timeline and next steps: the RFQ submittal included an ambitious timetable that would begin design and permitting in mid‑2025 and aim for a late spring 2027 opening if negotiations and approvals proceed. Lopez and staff emphasized that any agreement must be brought back to council for final authorization and that staff will only advance a deal if the negotiated documents meet the council's previously adopted negotiation framework.

Houghton Park and Play and temporary amenities: Lynn Zwagstra reported on temporary uses currently on the Houghton Park and Play site. The city has collected public feedback via signs, a web survey and neighborhood outreach and has received about 40 survey responses to date; staff is expanding outreach and plans additional neighborhood engagement. Staff outlined potential relocation options for the site's amenities: pickleball (possible conversion/dual‑striping at Waneta Beach or Peter Kirk Park), bike pump track (Terrace Park), community garden, and expanded skate features (Peter Kirk Park). Zwagstra said Peter Kirk Park and Waneta Beach are top candidates for new pickleball courts because of lighting and orientation relative to residences. Staff noted costs to move features will include surface/concrete work as the largest expense and that city CIP staff are preparing estimates.

Public interest and next steps: several council members asked that staff provide more community engagement opportunities on program design and facility decisions; Lopez confirmed that the Kraken team has expressed interest in community presentations and staff indicated those would occur after RFQ review and as negotiations permit. Staff also said it is preparing a preliminary stormwater mitigation concept (a vault sized to mitigate an undisturbed area north of the park‑and‑ride) that would be an additional public benefit funded by the city if the council decides to include it in negotiations.

Quote: \"The Kraken is to carry the full cost of developing and constructing this facility,\" Lopez said, adding negotiations will determine the financial security and public‑benefit details.

Lede provenance: \"We are going to move on to ICEplex and Community Center Proposal Update. City Manager.\" (transcript 3233.0198)

Ending: Staff will return to council with a recommendation after RFQ scoring and negotiations; if council agrees to proceed, the city would negotiate and bring back a ground lease, development agreement and operating agreement for council approval prior to any binding commitment.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Kirkland City Council Meeting April 15, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Kirkland staff told council they received a single RFQ response from a Seattle Kraken–Generator Studio team to develop an IcePlex and community center; the proposal would have the Kraken bear construction costs and requires negotiated agreements before council would authorize a deal.","taxTitle","Kirkland, King County, Washington","taxId",2569,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6271935,"Kirkland reviews preliminary transportation impact fee study; consultants propose square‑foot scaling for housing",2246,990000,3236000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3028410-18d1caa320bba6a85d35963dd5c62b5b&start=990&end=3236","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3028410-18d1caa320bba6a85d35963dd5c62b5b/thumbnail_990000.jpg","/articles/6271935/Kirkland/King-County/Washington/Kirkland-reviews-preliminary-transportation-impact-fee-study-consultants-propose-squarefoot-scaling-for-housing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6271935-1e1d6b5a25ca29fd3947f95b903dfe92/orig.mp4?Expires=1770420770&Signature=KtNuowMTO7w09qaORdmd-ePjFOSaTbeWTrL3tuv1YMtyxsDbtDqyLnFm8H0prWIe9hQUsSOEs-DGM~nhjLCMp8Yo~9OSK29TfyNu4nKnr9-dJGLqTz9qPmabRiqiEXJotdSPW8taesvNxCciCz5O8G9-KONlm4Sf~pU1emUc2vlZAsd7-RoXPkf4X2cNWb5roZ2zc1WQbivNYiWUI3bpxSUFyQ5iZFPKV0EQZRlINMeA4RokEBrIVPzlKPLdhDV9SfAGpsyrHDQ-9ZuilgcCZDrERcn4FHllKU0GnU3-XOymJmGNyzqSz6wXEjXoVd6XCNDUadNoQTntzaK1HP3TbA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Kirkland officials reviewed preliminary results of a city transportation impact fee study during the April study session, with consultants recommending a trip‑based fee schedule that scales residential charges by square footage to comply with 2023 changes to Washington law.

The study, presented by Kevin Pellstreng, the city's financial planning manager, and consultants from FCS Group and DKS, lays out a framework that divides the cost of planned capacity‑increasing transportation projects by forecast growth in trip ends. John Ghiliducci, a consultant with FCS Group, said the analysis relies on regional trip generation modeling and a project list provided by DKS.

The study finds 21,103 new trip ends over the forecast period and an estimated net allocable project cost of about $112 million after subtracting existing impact fee balances. That produces a calculated cost per trip end of roughly $5,310, \"just a skosh lower\" than the city's previous estimate, Ghiliducci said.

Why it matters: state law revised in 2023 requires jurisdictions to scale impact fees so smaller dwelling units pay lower fees. The consultants said they applied trip generation as the basis for transportation fees and then scaled the residential charge by square footage using local dwelling size data. That yields a per‑square‑foot charge the consultants described as $4.39 per square foot in their example; the framework produces a minimum and maximum fee for single‑family houses based on occupancy and a square‑foot cap to avoid charging larger houses beyond the point where more floor area does not mean more occupants.

Council members pressed consultants on two technical choices that materially affected the fee level. First, DKS supplied the trip forecast; the consultants used trip ends (an origin or a destination counts as one trip end) so trips that both begin and end inside Kirkland count twice. Second, DKS and the consultants assigned an \"eligibility\" percentage to each project on the capital list to reflect what share of a project increases capacity for future users and therefore can be funded with impact fees. That assignment lowered the share of the $321 million project list found eligible compared with the city's 2021 study, producing about $113 million in eligible costs instead of the earlier study's higher share.

Council members asked whether grouping projects into broad programs (for example, a citywide safety striping program) made it harder to show that the program projects add capacity. Doug Gabbard of FCS Group said eligibility was decided project by project; if the project descriptions were unclear and a project did not appear to add capacity, it received a low or zero eligibility percentage. Staff said they would follow up with DKS to confirm labels or nomenclature did not depress eligibility assignments.

Several council members asked for illustrative examples showing how scaling affects small dwellings, cottages and ADUs. The consultants and staff said smaller units would generally see reduced fees under the square‑foot scaling approach and offered to return with concrete examples for smaller sizes (for instance, a 1,400‑square‑foot home) to show expected decreases.

Points of technical clarification noted by staff and consultants
- Trip forecast denominator: 21,103 trip ends added during the forecast period (DKS/BKR model).
- Eligible project costs used as the fee numerator: about $113,000,000 after applying project‑level eligibility percentages and subtracting the existing impact fee fund balance.
- Calculated cost per trip end: roughly $5,310.
- Scaling approach: transportation fees are trip‑based; residential scaling is by square footage, producing a per‑square‑foot charge the consultants presented as an example ($4.39/ft2) with a minimum per‑person floor and a maximum to limit fees on very large single‑family homes.

Next steps: staff and consultants will return with more granular examples of how scaling affects smaller unit sizes and options for handling multifamily and ADU types. The city manager said the council will see draft fee ordinances for transportation, fire and parks at a future meeting after additional review.

Lede provenance: \"first item is the discussion of our transportation impact fees.\" (transcript 990.165)

Ending: The study session provided a technical first look at a new trip‑based, square‑foot scaled approach to transportation impact fees; staff and consultants will bring back worked examples and follow up on project eligibility questions before the council considers ordinance adoption.","City officials reviewed preliminary results of a transportation impact fee update. Consultants recommended trip‑based fees scaled by dwelling square footage to comply with a 2023 state law; estimated cost per added trip is about $5,310 and the consultant flagged changes in project eligibility that reduced the fee base.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6271927,"Council adopts planning work program and approves measure requests; multiple council motions pass unanimously",182,6980000,7162000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3028410-18d1caa320bba6a85d35963dd5c62b5b&start=6980&end=7162","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3028410-18d1caa320bba6a85d35963dd5c62b5b/thumbnail_6980000.jpg","/articles/6271927/Kirkland/King-County/Washington/Council-adopts-planning-work-program-and-approves-measure-requests-multiple-council-motions-pass-unanimously","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6271927-c19d99a851f2993596bc09e8cf9e2501/orig.mp4?Expires=1770420770&Signature=LGRlJrWks601tRD~X8GhX1L1Py9Nu5SafrDCS4pEdpiE5P-0yKzfaji5s5lIXWGS6IhEDXuYeZoqW6wRfBU1lYaZHPckeUoGmTWbeVFYZaAUrWahh14OYU3vYeN7EwBISpYbW0WdcjGOEZ0WE-S-xqrDBsLR-PilMz5CxOeOC5l7LG0iPyQ8w80XRakzJwSUqctRTI2lNlpaX8VH0~QJTiMY5SmLa-XHTiEBAqGceF3KXgeuBd-A7exIHbPYLSTZ74b49X9-0WOiWNPVrkOKihnuxHszj4EQzIvI009C7b4Bg0lH-rKDIQmxj61LVl32qX1y14vZiINkgF2o-6NXyg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Kirkland City Council recorded several formal votes during the April meeting. Council adopted its 2025–2027 planning work program, authorized a King County EMS levy transmittal resolution for the ballot, extended the homelessness continuum‑of‑care action plan deadline by resolution, approved the consent calendar, and approved a motion to convene an executive session on litigation. All recorded final outcomes in the public meeting passed unanimously with seven votes in favor and zero opposed.

Votes at a glance

- Substitute Resolution 56 78 — Adoption of the 2025–2027 Planning Work Program
- Motion: \"Adopt substitute resolution 56 78 adopting the 2025–2027 planning work program.\"
- Mover: Council member Tim Chisholm. Second: Council member Sweet.
- Outcome: Approved, 7–0 (all councilmembers recorded in the public meeting voted yes).
- Notes: Planning Commission leadership previously recommended projects; staff revised some task descriptions after council feedback (notably, a housing special project focused on expanding housing opportunities on properties owned by religious organizations and adjustments to the Totem Lake Southern Industrial subarea scoping). Provenance: staff presentation and vote during the business agenda.

- Resolution 56 79 — King County EMS levy transmittal (Medic 1)
- Motion: Move to approve resolution 56 79 to place the Medic 1 levy proposal on the November 2025 ballot.
- Mover: Council Mayor Sweet. Second: Deputy Mayor Arnold.
- Outcome: Approved, 7–0.
- Notes: The levy proposal would fund ALS paramedic services and related regional programs; staff and regional partners presented the levy plan and recommended a 25¢ per $1,000 AV rate over six years. Provenance: presentation by King County EMS deputy director and council motion.

- Resolution R‑5680 — Extension of homelessness continuum‑of‑care action plan deadline
- Motion: Adopt resolution to replace an April 30 deadline with a flexible 2025 transmittal date to allow further outreach.
- Mover: Council member Falcone. Second: Council member Sweet.
- Outcome: Approved, 7–0.
- Notes: Staff will continue community engagement and return a draft plan later in 2025.

- Consent calendar adoption (payroll and voucher approvals and proclamations)
- Motion: Adoption of consent agenda (payroll $4,623,998.41; bills $4,414,904.14; proclamations including Assault Awareness Month and others).
- Mover: Council member Sweet. Second: Council member Falcone.
- Outcome: Approved, 7–0.

- Motion to convene executive session (litigation discussion under RCW)
- Motion: Move to go into executive session to discuss litigation per RCW 42.30.110(1)(i)(ii) (as stated in the meeting).
- Mover: Council member Falcone. Second: Council member Sweet.
- Outcome: Approved, 7–0.

Other formal actions
- Appointment: Interview and selection committee for Cultural Arts Commission youth position. Committee members (drawn by the city clerk) were Mayor Kelly Curtis, Council member Tim Chisholm and Council Member Veil Black. The council set interviews to be held by Zoom for the youth applicant.

Context and next steps: Several items noted for future return to council after additional staff work: the draft transportation, fire and park impact fee ordinances (staff expects to return with proposed ordinances and fee tables in May), negotiated documents related to any IcePlex proposal (ground lease, development and operating agreements), and a draft homelessness continuum action plan for further review and public comment.

Provenance: the votes and motions are recorded in the meeting transcript and were reflected in staff presentations and the business agenda.","At the April meeting council adopted the 2025–2027 planning work program, approved placing a King County EMS levy on the November ballot, extended a homelessness action plan deadline, and approved multiple routine motions; all recorded council votes in the meeting passed 7‑0.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Seattle Kraken team and Generator Studio submit RFQ response for Kirkland IcePlex; city reviewing public‑private proposal

Kirkland reviews preliminary transportation impact fee study; consultants propose square‑foot scaling for housing

Council adopts planning work program and approves measure requests; multiple council motions pass unanimously