The Basics

The update process will be an opportunity to revisit the policies in the existing Comprehensive Plan to see if they are still relevant, need revising per State, Regional, and County requirements. To help develop a comprehensive plan, the City engages the community to develop a shared vision for Kirkland based on common values, desires and goals. Using public meetings, hearings, surveys, focus groups and other tools to engage the community, and regulatory requirements city staff revises the policies and prepares briefings for the Planning Commission and city Boards and Commissions to consider. A draft plan is prepared based on the community’s vision, state and regional requirements such as Puget Sound Regional Council Vision 2050 multi-planning policies, and planning best practices, such as Smart Growth Principles, 10 Minute Neighborhoods, that promote growth in compact, walkable, urban centers to avoid sprawl.

The Planning Commission is in the process of holding public meetings and hearings to get comments on the draft plan. Draft chapters of the Plan are available on this webpage by topic area. Based on public feedback, the Planning Commission may revise the draft plan. The Planning Commission will make a recommendation to the City Council and, if the Council agrees with the recommendation, the Council approves the final plan. City Council adoption of the 2044 Plan is tentatively planned for December 10, 2024. 

The 2044 Comprehensive Plan goals and policies are being updated with the following themes in mind:

The Washington State Growth Management Act (GMA) determines what is included in each comprehensive plan.

The Kirkland 2044 Comprehensive Plan covers many policy areas including:

• Revised Vision Statement and Guiding Principles for the year 2044
• Sustainability, Climate and Environment
• Land Use
• Housing
• Economic Development
• Transportation
• Parks, Recreation and Open Space
• Utilities
• Public Services
• Human Services
• Capital Facilities

Neighborhood Plans

There are 14 neighborhoods within Kirkland. Each neighborhood has it's own Neighborhood Plan chapter within the City's Comprehensive Plan. In 2023-2024 the City is working with the Juanita Neighborhood and Kingsgate Neighborhood to update their Plans. For all other neighborhood plans, text will be updated through an equity lens and historic text from each neighborhood consolidated into a citywide history of Kirkland document that will be included as an Appendix to the Comprehensive Plan.  

For each neighborhood, these plans address topics such as:

• Historical Context
• Natural Environment
• Land Use
• Transportation (pedestrian and bicycle paths)
• Open Space and Parks
• Public Services and Facilities
• Urban Design

Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement

On June 10, 2024, the City of Kirkland issued a draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) evaluating proposed amendments as part of the 2044 Comprehensive Plan Update that would alter the distribution of Kirkland’s population and employment growth and help shape all aspects of the community over the next 20 years (to 2044). The update includes changes to policies in the Land Use, Housing, Transportation, Utilities, Capital Facilities, Human Services, Environment, Public Services, and Parks, Recreation, and Open Space sections of the Kirkland 2035 Comprehensive Plan and incorporate elements of the Transportation Strategic Plan. 

View the Notice of Availability document(PDF, 517KB) .
View the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement(PDF, 16MB) (SEIS) document.

A public comment period was held from June 10^th, 2024, to July 12, 2024 for people to submit comments on the draft SEIS. An open house and public hearing was held on June 27^th, 2024 for people to submit oral comments. Approximately 70 written comments were received. Staff is in the process of compiling all the comments. When available the comments will be posted on this webpage. These comments will be considered as part of the final SEIS due to be completed in the fall 2024. 

Overview of draft SEIS
The Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) includes two alternatives: the Existing Plan Alternative (continuation of the current Kirkland 2035 Comprehensive Plan, NE 85^th Street Station Area Plan and Planned Action, and adopted neighborhood plans) and a Growth Alternative. Both alternatives will accommodate Kirkland’s assigned growth targets for 2044. 

The Growth Alternative would establish additional residential capacity above and beyond what is needed to accommodate the City’s growth targets to provide additional flexibility for the development of housing choices for the community. It would allow greater residential and commercial density, particularly near transit corridors and in select commercial or business centers and would implement regulations to encourage the production of affordable and market-rate housing citywide. The Growth Alternative would include future multimodal improvements identified in the Transportation Strategic Plan and incorporated into the Comprehensive Plan. This alternative would also include updates required to comply with Washington state legislation for “middle” housing (housing at densities between single-unit detached homes and mid-rise apartment buildings) in all residential zones citywide and would allow additional middle housing typologies in residential zones. The Growth Alternative includes consideration of proposed changes in land use at selected sites in Juanita and Totem Lake (see the Land Use Element section of the K2044 project webpage for more information.

Previously- On October 18, 2023 the City issued a Determination of Significance and Scoping Notice(PDF, 334KB)  to allow people to submit comments on what should be evaluated in the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the 2044 Comprehensive Plan update. The scoping period ended on November 17, 2023. View all the scoping comments(PDF, 3MB) that were received.

2044 Introduction Chapter Planning Commission recommendation September 2024(PDF, 4MB) (includes draft Vision Statement-Guiding Principles)

Introduction-Chapter-draft-May-9-2024-Hearing.pdf(PDF, 4MB) (includes Vision Statement-Guiding Principles)

Citywide General goals and policies draft March 2024(PDF, 942KB)

Planning Commission December 8, 2022 Meeting Material(PDF, 6MB)s - Presentation(PDF, 2MB) 
City Council December 13, 2022 Meeting Materials(PDF, 4MB)  - Presentation(PPTX, 17MB)
City Council April 19, 2022 Meeting Materials(PDF, 6MB)  - Presentation(PPTX, 645KB) 
Planning Commission April 28, 2022(PDF, 5MB)  - Presentation(PDF, 1MB)
City Council July 18, 2023 Meeting Materials(PDF, 2MB)  - Presentation(PDF, 1MB)
Planning Commission July 27, 2023 Meeting Materials(PDF, 764KB)  - Presentation(PDF, 2MB)  

You may encounter unfamiliar terms while you learn about the Kirkland 2044 Comprehensive Plan. The Glossary of terms has been revised for the 2044 update and defines key words and acronyms found in the Plan. See 2044 draft Glossary(PDF, 611KB)  that will be included in the Comprehensive Plan Appendix.