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Kirkland council approves first reading of ordinance tied to proposed Main Street development, 3-2
Summary
On first reading, the Kirkland Town Council voted 3-2 to approve an ordinance that would enable a developer’s proposed commercial building at the downtown corner to begin the formal rezoning and development-plan review process; an attempt to suspend rules and adopt at the same meeting failed.
The Kirkland Town Council voted 3-2 on first reading to advance Ordinance 2025-7-1, an amendment to the town's Unified Development Ordinance that clears a path for a proposed commercial development at a downtown corner that would include a liquor store and two additional retail units. Chair (speaker 3) made the motion for a first reading by title only, which passed on a 3-2 voice count.
Why it matters: Councilors and residents said the project could revitalize a long-vacant lot but stressed development must meet downtown design standards and traffic-safety requirements. The ordinance starts the formal process that will require a development plan, area plan commission review, and DOT input on curb cuts and driveway access.
During the meeting, the applicant's representative described commitments offered by the property owners, including a requirement that "all structures must sit at or behind the average setback of the structures on the adjacent property," a term the council noted would be enforced during the development-plan review. A resident who lives "two doors down from there" told councilors she had heard conflicting accounts about whether underground tanks had been removed at the former gas-station site and urged the town to verify cleanup documentation before approving the plan.
Council procedural outcome: After the first-reading motion passed, councilors also voted on a motion to suspend the rules and adopt the ordinance at the same meeting; that suspension attempt failed by the same 3-2 split, meaning the ordinance will require a second reading at a subsequent meeting before final adoption. Staff said DOT input and a formal site plan showing setbacks, sidewalks and curb cuts must be completed during the remainder of the process.
What's next: The council directed staff to add the ordinance for the next meeting's agenda so the second reading and final vote can occur once outstanding issues (DOT guidance, final drawings and any outstanding environmental documentation) are addressed.
