Zoning and Comprehensive Plan Amendment Requests

Community-Initiated Amendment Requests (CARs) are are legislative decisions made by the City Council, and include public notice and Planning Commission public hearing requirements. Proposed plan amendments are Process IV decisions under Chapter 160 of the Kirkland Zoning Code. Neighbors and community members are encouraged to participate in both phases of the CAR process including sending comments to or addressing the Planning Commission at public meetings and hearings, and providing feedback to City Council as the requests are considered.

All CARs are reviewed through a two phase process: 

Phase I - Threshold Review

Planning Commission reviews submittals and recommends to City Council which amendments merit further consideration.  The City Council then determines which requests will advance for further review and prioritizes the amendment changes as a task on the upcoming Planning Work Program.

Phase II - Final Decision

 Planning Commission studies and eventually holds public hearing to receive public testimony on draft amendments. The Planning Commission makes a recommendation to the City Council.  The City Council considers the recommendation and makes the final decision on the request. The City Council will consider CAR amendments to the Comprehensive Plan within their existing annual Comprehensive Plan update process.

The following information applies to CARs that do not propose neighborhood plan policy amendments. If you are seeking to initiate changes to a neighborhood plan, see the Neighborhood Plan Amendment Request (NPAR) tab for additional details.

Application Requirements

• Applications are due by December 30 of each even-numbered year (e.g., 2026, 2028, 2030)
• In the case of a CAR where the applicant is not the property owner, the applicant must notify the property owner in writing of the request.
• Proposals including neighborhood plan policy amendments should also complete the Neighborhood Plan Amendment Request application. See the NPAR tab for details.
  
  

Fees

CAR applications for property-specific map changes require the applicant to pay review fees, collected prior to each phase of review. There is no fee for requests for city-wide or neighborhood-wide policy changes.

Phase I Fee: $1,120.00
Phase II Fee: $11,200.00

Review Frequency

CAR applications submitted by the applicable deadline listed above will receive an initial review by the City during the following year.

Criteria for Approval

Pursuant to KZC 140.30, the City may amend the Comprehensive Plan only if it finds that:

1. The amendment must be consistent with the Growth Management Act.
2. The amendment must be consistent with the countywide planning policies.
3. The amendment must not be in conflict with other goals, policies, and provisions of the Kirkland Comprehensive Plan.
4. The amendment will result in long-term benefits to the community as a whole, and is in the best interest of the community.
5. When applicable, the proposed amendment must be consistent with the Shoreline Management Act and the City’s adopted shoreline master program.

Pursuant to KZC 135.25, the City may amend the text of the Zoning Code only if it finds that:

1. The proposed amendment is consistent with the applicable provisions of the Comprehensive Plan; and
2. The proposed amendment bears a substantial relation to public health, safety, or welfare; and
3. The proposed amendment is in the best interest of the residents of Kirkland; and
4. When applicable, the proposed amendment is consistent with the Shoreline Management Act and the City’s adopted shoreline master program.

In 2028, the City of Kirkland will launch a separate process for reviewing amendment requests to the 13 neighborhood plans within the Kirkland Comprehensive Plan. Neighborhood Plan Amendment Requests (NPARs) can be initiated by any community member to suggest amendments to a neighborhood plan. 

Download the Neighborhood Plan Amendment Request Guide for Applicants(PDF, 226KB), which provides important details on this newly established review process.

Application Requirements

• Applications are due by December 30 of each even-numbered year (beginning in 2028)
• In addition to the requirements for CARS, the NPAR proposal will need to demonstrate neighborhood applicability and alignment with citywide goals and objectives. Application materials shall indicate:

1.  Policy Focus: Proposal should suggest changes to policies within the neighborhood plan. Requests for changes to maps, vision statements, or minor narrative text changes should be left to the city-led neighborhood plan update process, conducted every 10 years.
   
   

2.  Neighborhood Applicability: Proposal should apply to the neighborhood as a whole or significant portions of it, while remaining specific enough to the local context of the area.  This helps ensure that the policy is relevant to the community at large.

3. Continued Impact and Policy Focus: The proposal should suggest policy changes with a long-term vision (e.g., 10-20 years) rather than policy concerning immediate, short-term needs.

4.  Consistency with Citywide Vision, Policy and growth patterns: Proposals should be consistent with the existing land use designations of the comprehensive plan. Requests to change any land use designations should be made through the established CAR process (See "CARs" tab) because the NPAR process is only intended for policy amendments to neighborhood plan chapters.
      Example: improved livability, neighborhood identity, environmental sustainability, or social equity

5. Evidence of Equitable Community Support: Submissions should include evidence that the applicant(s) has actively sought community engagement or support, such as feedback from neighborhood meetings, petitions, or other forms of outreach that reflect a shared community interest.
   
   
6. Community Benefits: Proposals should demonstrate how they would benefit the broader neighborhood or address a community-identified need or priority

 Fees

No fees are associated with NPARs.

Review Frequency

NPAR applications submitted by the applicable deadline listed above will receive an initial review by the City during the subsequent year.

Criteria for Approval

Pursuant to KZC 140.30, the City may amend the Comprehensive Plan only if it finds that:

1. The amendment must be consistent with the Growth Management Act.
2. The amendment must be consistent with the countywide planning policies.
3. The amendment must not be in conflict with other goals, policies, and provisions of the Kirkland Comprehensive Plan.
4. The amendment will result in long-term benefits to the community as a whole, and is in the best interest of the community.
5. When applicable, the proposed amendment must be consistent with the Shoreline Management Act and the City’s adopted shoreline master program.

Timeline (dates are subject to change)

Phase I - Threshold Determination Process

December 2026: CAR Phase 1 applications due on December 30, 2026 at 4:00 PM.
January - March 2027: Planning Commission review and recommendation to City Council 
April - May 2027: City Council decides which requests should be further reviewed and the timeframe for review via placement on the Planning Work Program(PDF, 79KB).

Phase II - Final Decision Process
Dates for Phase II are contingent on how the City Council prioritizes the request during Phase I

Step 1: CAR Phase 2 applications submitted if City Council authorizes further review
Step 2: Planning Commission studies applications. For site specific CARs, the study area may be expanded to include additional properties
 Step 3: Planning Commission hold public hearing and makes recommendation to City Council
 Step 4: City Council makes final decision

Any person or group may initiate a CAR or NPAR. For CARs concerning specific parcel areas where the applicant is not the property owner, the applicant must notify the property owner in writing of the request.

To apply for a Community-Initiated Amendment Request (CAR), complete the application below:

Community-Initiated Amendment Request Application

To apply for a Neighborhood Plan Amendment Request (NPAR), complete the application below:

Neighborhood Plan Amendment Request Application (currently unavailable - coming 2028)

For Neighborhood Plan Amendment Requests, please download the Neighborhood Plan Amendment Request Guide for Applicants(PDF, 226KB), which provides important details on this newly established review process.

For alternative application formats, such as in-person or paper applications, visit the City of Kirkland Development Services Counter at Kirkland City Hall (123 5th Avenue, Kirkland WA 98033). Translated alternative applications are also available upon request.

Neighborhood: Juanita

Request: Amendments to the Kirkland Zoning Code (KZC) 35.30.020 and/or the zoning designation of the subject property to increase the maximum allowed height from 35 feet to 75 feet, and density allowances to accommodate approximately 500 - 600 residential units and 10,000 - 15,000 square feet of commercial/retail space.

Status: Phase I review complete. Comprehensive Plan amendments were adopted in December 2024 through the updated Juanita Neighborhood Plan(PDF, 4MB) to support the study of additional capacity allowances in the study area through new policy J-20. Amendments to zoning standards and design guidelines for the study area are currently being reviewed. See the North Juanita Center Zoning Code Amendments project webpage for details.

Project Planner: LeAndra Baker-Lewis; llewis@kirklandwa.gov; 425-587-3265

Related Phase I Staff Memos:

May 23, 2024 Planning Commission Hearing packet(PDF, 42MB)

April 11, 2024 Planning Commission Meeting packet(PDF, 1000KB)

January 25, 2024 Planning Commission Meeting packet(PDF, 2MB)

August 24, 2023 Planning Commission Meeting packet(PDF, 15MB)

Neighborhood: Totem Lake Business District

Request: Rezone multiple parcels in TL 10D zone to allow for mixed-use/high-density residential uses.

Status: Phase I review complete. With adoption of the 2044 Comprehensive Plan in December 2024, City Council adopted a new policy in the Totem Lake Business District Plan, Policy TL-33.1, that directs the City to prepare a subarea plan for the entire Totem Lake Southern Industrial Area (which includes the Par Mac parcels) to consider a new mixed-use neighborhood, including consideration of potential capacity increases. In early 2025, the Planning Commission and City Council adopted the 2025-2027 Planning Work Program, which determines the priority level and approximate timing for work on the subarea plan to begin (2026). Per the adopted Comprehensive Plan policy, a subarea plan is a prerequisite for any capacity increases on the Par Mac parcels and within the larger Southern Industrial Area.

Project Planner: Scott Guter; sguter@kirklandwa.gov; 425-587-3247

Related Phase I Staff Memos:

July 11, 2024 Planning Commission Hearing packet(PDF, 35MB) 

May 23, 2024 Planning Commission Hearing packet(PDF, 42MB)

July 18, 2023 City Council Meeting packet(PDF, 10MB)

June 22, 2023 Planning Commission Meeting packet(PDF, 15MB)

Neighborhood: Juanita

Request: Comprehensive Plan and Kirkland Zoning Code (KZC) amendments increasing the allowed building height from 26 feet to 70 feet, elimination of the residential density restrictions of JBD 4 zone (KZC 52.27.070) to allow 170 residential units and 4,000-4,500 square feet of commercial space.

Note: The study area will not include parts of the JBD 4 zone within the Shoreline Management Area.

Status: Phase I review complete. Comprehensive Plan amendments were adopted in December 2024 through the updated Juanita Neighborhood Plan to support the study of additional capacity allowances in the entire JBD 4 zone through new policy J-16. Amendments to zoning standards and design guidelines for the study area are currently being reviewed. See the JBD 4 Zoning Code Amendments project webpage for details.

Project Planner: LeAndra Baker-Lewis; llewis@kirklandwa.gov; 425-587-3265

Related Phase I Staff Memos:

May 23, 2024 Planning Commission Hearing packet(PDF, 42MB)

April 11, 2024 Planning Commission Meeting packet(PDF, 1000KB)

January 25, 2024 Planning Commission Meeting packet(PDF, 2MB)

August 24, 2023 Planning Commission Meeting packet(PDF, 15MB)