"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world 
Indeed it is the only thing that ever has."  -Margaret Mead

Citizens for One Kirkland

We've always been one community.  It's time we became one city.

Kirkland Annexes BridleView Neighborhood

The City of Kirkland has just recently annexed the BridleView Subdivision.  This neighborhood is in the southeastern part of Kirkland.  Formally part of the Redmond PAA, the residents petitioned to become apart of the City of Kirkland after the City of Redmond agreed to give up stake in future annexation.  In a recent article on the Kirkland Courier by Erika Hobart

Bridle View neighborhood wants in on annexation
by ERIKA HOBART
A Bridle View subdivision that includes Snyder’s Corner Park could become a part of Kirkland within the next few years after a majority of its residents requested the area be incorporated into city limits.

The Kirkland City Council announced it would support an amendment to the city’s current boundaries to include the subdivision after a Bridle Trails Annexation Committee last week presented it with a petition requesting the move. Forty-six unincorporated King County homeowners signed the petition.

The subdivision, at 132nd Ave. N.E. between N.E. 60th St. and Kirkland’s “Snyder’s Corner” property on the S.E. corner of 132nd and N.E. 70th St., is located in unincorporated King County and is actually within Redmond’s potential annexation area. Because the subdivision’s residents expressed interest in annexing into Kirkland rather than Redmond, however, the latter Council earlier this month gave Kirkland the rights to the annexation area.

The Bridle View subdivision is well-known for its equestrian-minded population and vicinity to Bridle Trails State Park, a 482-acre forested park recognized for its horse trails. With 22 horses stabled in the area, residents expressed concerns about losing their horse-raising rights should their neighborhood be annexed. Redmond and King County lack ordinances protecting people’s horse-keeping capabilities, while Kirkland has written more protective rights into its city code.

Wray Featherstone, a member of the Bridle Trails committee, said Redmond requires a full-acre of land for an individual to keep a horse. The Bridle View subdivision consists of several lots of approximately 30,000 square-feet each, meaning horse owners could lose the right to keep horses if annexed into another Eastside city.

“This isn’t anything controversial or difficult,” Featherstone said. “We’re an isolated area that’s about 50 acres, and the people who live here love their horses. With that in mind, we would fit in much better in Kirkland.”

Councilwoman Jessica Greenway said it’s a decision that’s been in the making for 20 years.

“It just makes sense for so many reasons... we can finally go forward with something that has been a very long-term project,” she said.

For the subdivision to be included in the city’s potential annexation area, it would need to be incorporated into a comprehensive plan currently in progress. It would also require approval by the County Growth Management Planning Council, something City planning director Eric Shields said “would be likely.”

“What’s exciting about this is this community has felt a part of Kirkland for a long time,” deputy mayor Joan McBride said. “It will be nice to welcome them in.”

And residents of the horse-friendly neighborhood are quick to add they have nothing against Redmond.

“I can’t emphasize enough that Redmond has always treated us very well,” Featherstone said. “Most of the people living here, as well as in the cities we’ve worked with, know this has more to do with the horses.”

One of the several options being explored by the Citizens for One Kirkland is to proceed forward with the petition process for the PAA to annex with the City of Kirkland.  If you would like to start your own petition click here.  More to follow