At 7 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 8 at Kenmore City Hall, the Kenmore City Council will be holding a public hearing on height limits for buildings on the city’s waterfront between 61st Avenue Northeast and 65th Avenue Northeast. The Kenmore Planning Commission spent nearly two years evaluating this issue. The planning commissioner recognized that there is a 40-foot height differential between the waterfront and SR 522 (Bothell Way). To protect public views of Lake Washington from SR 522, as well as water views enjoyed by businesses along SR 522 and homeowners to the north, the Planning Commission recommended that future buildings along this part of the waterfront not exceed 40 feet. On Oct. 28, the Kenmore City Council adopted this recommendation on a 5-1 vote.

After receiving strenuous objections to this height limit from owners of Kenmore Air and Northlake Marina, the City Council voted Nov. 17 to reconsider the height limits. The council is now considering a 45-foot height limit proposed by Kenmore Air to accommodate buildings for future manufacturing operations. Any buildings over 40 feet along the waterfront would block Lake Washington views from behind and to the northeast of such buildings. The current Northlake Marina boat rack, at 41 feet, already blocks a significant part of the Lake Washington view. On Nov. 24, after strong objections from those seeking to protect public and private views of Lake Washington, the Kenmore Council voted to hold a Monday, Dec. 8 public hearing. Any citizen may comment for up to three minutes at the public hearing.

Views of Lake Washington are a treasured asset for Kenmore – something very few other communities get to experience. If you care about keeping them for future generations, you need to speak up. Please attend the Dec. 8 public hearing and make your voice heard.

Doug Levy, Kenmore