Kenmore planners and consultants on July 22 raised urban heat islands and green infrastructure alongside questions about private developments providing public open space and how impact fees or development standards might capture those contributions.

Tom Beckwith presented a heat-index map from the Trust for Public Land showing hotter 'islands' near commercial strips and paved areas; he said trees and green roofs are among the primary mitigation tools. "So one of the issues is how do we bring those temperatures down? And particularly, if we're putting any kind of public spaces in, how do we bring those down?" Beckwith asked.

Several residents praised a recent PulteGroup project near 180th that includes an open green area with walkways; one resident said the developer-created space has functionally operated like a public park and improved neighborhood access. Staff said private open-space amenities can be encouraged through development standards or impact-fee programs but cautioned that public access and credit toward impact fees depend on whether amenities are truly public rather than resident-only.

Consultants and staff discussed commercial roofs and other nonresidential sites as opportunities for public green space, noting Seattle and other cities have used rooftop gardens and green decks to expand public open space. Beckwith also noted that as urban density increases in Kenmore’s core, the plan should identify plazas, pocket parks and other small urban spaces in addition to traditional suburban park formats.

No binding policy changes were adopted at the meeting. Staff said the PROS update will consider development standards, impact-fee crediting rules and incentives for developers to provide publicly accessible green amenities.