Residents urge council to act on housing, Lake Pointe testing and immigrant safety; callers ask for EV chargers and bike share
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Summary
Multiple public commenters at Kenmore’s Nov. 10 meeting urged action on housing (STEP recommendations), deeper affordable housing for SSI/SSDI households, environmental testing at Lake Pointe, immigrant protections following nearby ICE activity, and better EV charging and bike‑share access.
Several Kenmore residents used the public‑comment period Nov. 10 to press the council on housing, environmental review, immigrant safety and transportation.
David Dorian urged the council to turn the proclamation on hunger and homelessness into action and to follow the STEP committee recommendations the council will review next week; he warned against repeating tactics that undermined trust after the recent Plymouth Housing controversy. Danielle Olsen said Kenmore needs more deeply affordable housing for residents on SSI/SSDI (SSI cited at about $967/month) and that many deeply affordable households are “hidden in plain sight” across the city.
On Lake Pointe, Jim Myers described the property as a former lakebed with fill and past disposal of organic material and other wastes; he recommended the city coordinate with the Department of Ecology under an existing consent decree to use state testing authority before the city spends its own funds. Elizabeth Mooney echoed calls for prudence and proposed community science and engagement (e.g., Stream Fest) to inform residents about site history and public‑health considerations.
Immigrant‑safety concerns were raised by Laurie Hastings, who described recent criminal incidents in nearby Redmond and cited fear about ICE activity; Hastings asked councilors to consider measures to protect residents of color and immigrant families. Councilors noted an upcoming resolution on immigrant rights and public‑safety briefings scheduled at future meetings.
Online commenter Brian Martin urged the city to expand EV charging and to permit bike‑share or scooter services (he mentioned LimeBike), saying public chargers can be much more expensive than home charging and that regional bike‑share connections would improve access to light rail.
The mayor thanked speakers and noted staff and council follow‑ups on STEP, Lake Pointe, EV planning and upcoming immigrant‑rights discussion and police briefing.