Planning Frequently Asked Questions

The Department helps guide growth and protects the environment in the City by assisting the public with development and permitting questions, reviewing permits, code enforcement, preparing environmental regulations and policy documents such as the Sustainability Strategic Plan, and updating the Zoning Code, and plans such as the Comprehensive Plan.

For most development permit applications, a team of professional staff including a planner and plans examiner review the application and issue a decision. The Design Review Board (DRB) reviews certain projects for consistency with applicable business district design guidelines. The Planning Commission provides recommendations to City Council on matters relating to land use regulations and the Kirkland Comprehensive Plan. Ultimately, the City Council establishes the policy direction for planning and growth in Kirkland. 

Middle housing refers to housing types that fall in between apartments and single-family houses – townhouses, duplexes, triplexes, accessory dwelling units, cottages, and stacked flats. They look and feel like single-family houses but are more affordable because they are typically smaller. In general, they are large enough to accommodate a family and provide entry-level homeownership opportunities. In Kirkland, middle housing costs may be a third or quarter of standard newly-built single-family houses, partly due to the smaller average size of these middle housing units. The term "middle housing" is often referred to as "missing" due to the fact that these types of buildings have been largely illegal or challenging to construct since the mid-1940s. This is mainly because in the post-WWII era, many cities made single-family houses easy to build, but, through restrictions such as zoning, made the development of middle housing all but impossible. 

Here are some common middle housing types:

• Duplexes and Triplexes: Multi-unit homes that look like single-family houses.
• Townhomes: Connected homes that offer a similar living experience to single-family.
• Cottages and Courtyard Apartments: Small homes grouped around shared green spaces.
• Stacked Flats and Sixplexes: Multi-story units that retain the scale and feel of traditional houses.

You can explore examples of middle housing in the Sightline Institute's missing middle homes photo library. Also, see the Middle Housing Code Amendments webpage for more information.

A rezone, or Zoning Map amendment, is the mechanism to change a zoning district on the Zoning Map. There are many different zoning districts in the City, ranging from lower-density residential to higher-density mixed use districts, and each unique district has different rules for how land may be developed and used.

Cities rezone property for a variety of reasons, including to adapt to changing needs or to encourage development. In order to rezone a property, the City must follows a legislative process (Planning Commission makes a recommendation on the rezoning, and City Council ultimately approves), which is described in Chapter 160 of the Kirkland Zoning Code.

Comprehensive Plans are guiding policy documents that describe how a city will manage its future growth in areas such as housing, employment, and environmental protection, and provide the infrastructure that growth requires such as transportation, utilities and other public services. In Washington State, every City and County is required to have a Comprehensive Plan that complies with the State’s Growth Management Act (GMA). Comprehensive Plans go through a major update process every 10 years and must always plan ahead for the next 20 years. The most recent update of Kirkland’s Comprehensive Plan occurred in 2024 and plans for growth through 2044.

Please see the City's Business Resources webpage.

The City’s Zoning regulations establish the development standards (setbacks, maximum height, etc.) that apply to a given property. You can find your property’s zoning three ways:

1. Kirkland's Zoning Map: This is a citywide PDF map that shows the zoning classifications within Kirkland.

2. Kirkland's Interactive GIS Map (Kirkland Maps): Citywide mapping database where you can find information on zoning, critical areas (streams, wetlands, and steep slopes), and more by activating different layers. How to find information about a property:

Enter an address in the top right search bar; the parcel will be identified by a yellow circle. Zoom in and click on the parcel. A white box will populate; site information and helpful links can be found here. The zone of the parcel is listed under "zoning." You can click on the "parcel zoning" link to understand the regulations on this parcel based on the identified zone. The "parcel zoning" link refers to the Kirkland Zoning Code, the primary webpage for all city zoning regulations. 

Browse through the "layers" options in the left column to understand what site features a parcel may exhibit, including easements, landslide susceptibility, streams and wetlands, overlay zones – these are all features that may impact development. 

3. Property Search: View through a map browser your property and get information such as permit history, King County Assessor’s information, zoning information, and more. You can also get a property report that includes information important when developing your property such as:

• Zoning
• Property size
• Sewer district, water district
• Streams, wetlands, slopes, and their buffers, which may impact your property

Once you determine your property’s zone or zoning district, check the corresponding Zoning Code chapter, which contains tables on Permitted Uses, Density/Dimensions, and Development Standards for your zone. You can also research if there are critical areas such as streams, wetlands, floodplains, geologically hazardous areas etc. on your property using the Parcel Viewer. The presence of critical areas will impact work and how you can develop your property.

We also have a team of Planners available Monday-Friday to help answer this question for you! You can reach Planners for assistance in the following ways:

• Call 425-587-3600
• Visit the Development Services Center at City Hall Monday through Friday 8:00AM-5:00PM (except Wednesday 8:00AM-10:30AM)
• Schedule a virtual appointment

Trees, including those on private property, are subject to robust protections in Kirkland. The City must approve removal of trees larger than 6 inches in diameter. Review the Trees webpage, Tree Code FAQs, and the Tree Permit Guide to learn more. Not sure where to start? Give us a call, or stop by City Hall, and one of our Planners can help make sure you understand the tree removal process. We strongly recommend talking to a Planner before removing any trees on your property.

ADUs, also known as backyard cottages, are important housing types that allow residents to age in place and offer flexible housing for people of all generations. In Kirkland, you may have up to two ADUs per residential property. The maximum size of an ADU is 1,200 square feet. They can be attached to your house or they can be in separate structures. Kirkland has a special program where you can buy pre-approved designs for detached ADUs (DADUs) at a lower design cost and get faster permits.

ADUs must meet zoning rules like setbacks, lot coverage, height, and floor area ratio (i.e., limits on how much square footage can be built on a property). ADUs must also meet Building and Fire Codes. See the Kirkland ADU Toolkit for more information.

1. The Planning and Building Department is responsible for reviewing private development proposals. Please see the Major Development Projects list and the Kirkland Activity Map to view projects and places where building permits, land use actions, and code enforcement are occurring.
2. The Department works on long-range planning projects. View the Planning Projects webpage for more information. 
3. The City works on projects to maintain and improve Kirkland’s infrastructure. Please see the construction projects interactive map.

The City Council adopts the Planning Work Program, based on a recommendation from the Planning Commission. The 3-year Work Program governs the Planning and Building Department’s work on long-range planning projects that will help shape the future of Kirkland. The Work Program can also include procedural code amendments and implementation of required State legislation.

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), Sound Transit, and design-build contractor Graham Contracting, Ltd. are working to reconstruct and improve the I-405/NE 85th Street interchange and construct a new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Station. This project design supports Sound Transit's Stride BRT, improves transit connections on Northeast 85th Street, and provides direct access to the I-405 Express Toll Lanes (ETLs). All information for this project, including closures and public meetings, can be found on the WSDOT project webpage. 

The City has worked to leverage the historic transit investment in Kirkland at I-405/NE 85th St by preparing the NE 85th Street Station Area Plan, a subarea plan centered on the future Sound Transit BRT station, and associated zoning changes. The Station Area planning process also identified necessary infrastructure investments in the City’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP), such as water/sewer system and transportation system upgrades, that will support future growth.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development defines “affordable housing” as housing on which the occupant is paying no more than 30 percent of gross income for housing costs, including utilities. In order to live in an affordable housing unit that is created or subsidized by government programs, the individual’s or household’s income must be at or below a specific percentage of the area median income (AMI). In Kirkland, affordable housing is generally targeted at people making 50%, 80%, and 100% of AMI.

Affordable housing can also refer to residential properties that are “affordable” but are not subsidized by any federal programs. The rent prices of naturally occurring affordable housing units are relatively low compared to the regional housing market and may be affordable due to the nature of a unit’s size and age.

The City pursues a multi-pronged approach to foster the creation of new affordable housing ranging from mandating affordable housing set-asides in market-rate development, to collecting fees from development to fund the creation of new affordable housing. Also note that there are additional entities that build affordable housing in Kirkland and East King County such as King County Housing Authority, and various non-profits.

 Since 2010, Kirkland has required new multifamily and mixed-use developments to include some affordable housing units (known as inclusionary zoning). Regulations apply in most of the City and are in Chapter 112 of the Kirkland Zoning Code. The standard requirement is that 10% of the units be affordable. Therefore, when more market-rate housing gets built, more affordable units get built. In some instances, instead of building an affordable unit on site, a developer may opt to pay a fee to the City that is used to develop or preserve affordable housing elsewhere (i.e., payment in-lieu). The City was a founding member of A Regional Coalition for Housing (ARCH) and the City deposits fees paid by developers in lieu of on-site affordable housing into the City’s Housing Trust Fund. ARCH uses these funds to preserve and increase the supply of housing for low- and moderate-income households throughout East King County.
The City has also adopted Multifamily Tax Exemption (MFTE) regulations. Tax exemptions can be granted for projects that include 10% to 20% of the units as affordable housing. Requirements are in Chapter 5.88 of the Kirkland Municipal Code.

Affordable housing is essential to help people that serve our community to live in our community and provides options that fit various household needs. This includes individuals such as teachers, healthcare employees, firefighters, police officers, service workers, restaurant employees, and more. More affordable housing opportunities can also benefit young adults or small families who may prefer smaller homes, and/or older adults that wish to age in place.

If you have questions or comments on a specific project or permit, contact the planner listed on the project webpage or on the permit. If you have general questions or comments, please use OurKirkland. If you're getting ready to start a development project and have questions, please review the Development Services Center webpage, where we have information on how to schedule an appointment and more. You can also call the Planning and Building Department at 425-587-3600. 

Visit the Planning Public Notices webpage and sign up for emails.

Visit the Planning Commission webpage and sign up for emails.

Sign up for This Week in Kirkland emails.

Have questions? Feel free to call us at 425-587-3600 or stop by City Hall!