Know what’s happening in Kirkland, without watching the four-hour meeting.
Plain-language summaries of council and planning decisions, source documents you can check yourself, and the deadlines that matter to your neighborhood.
UPDATED MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2026
This week in Kirkland
Tue, Sep 29 · Conversations with Council at Kitchen + Market (Yarrow Bay). An informal chance to talk with councilmembers and ask questions outside a formal meeting.
Thu, Oct 1 · Hearing Examiner meeting. 10 a.m., virtual.
Thu, Oct 1 · Tourism Development Committee special meeting. Held at the Heathman Hotel.
Tue, Oct 6 · City Council meeting. Study session at 5:30 p.m. and regular meeting at 7:30 p.m., City Hall and on Zoom.
Wed, Oct 7 · Norkirk Neighborhood Association meeting. 7 p.m., Heritage Hall.
Latest meeting recaps
Latest articles
ANALYSIS · PROCESS
Kirkland’s Council Is Weighing a Position on Two School Initiatives
Council is set to take positions on the two school measures October 20, six days after ballots mail. What Kirkland’s own record of twelve ballot-position resolutions says, and what a fair process looks like.
REPORT · HOUSING
What the Rose Hill Village Sale Means for the Station Area
Taylor Morrison’s 89 townhomes will be the station area’s first big redevelopment, and the last project of their kind the council will allow there.
REPORT · SCHOOLS
The School District Has Started a Review That Could Close Schools in 2028
The district has opened a review of enrollment, school capacity and attendance boundaries, with closing or combining schools among the options.
ANALYSIS · PROCESS
How Much Public Review Is Enough?
Seattle just removed a public review step from its growth plan. Kirkland’s promised look back at its own process still hasn’t happened.
Understand the issues
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Housing & Zoning
What state mandates require, what Kirkland’s elected officials control, and how density decisions get made.
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Taxes & MFTE
Where property-tax dollars go, how the Multi-Family Tax Exemption works, and who ultimately pays.
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Transit & Traffic
Metro service changes, the 2044 growth targets, and whether infrastructure is keeping pace.
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Schools & Services
How different housing types shape school enrollment, and what that means for neighborhood services.
Each of these four explainers covers who decides, how the decision actually works, and where things stand right now. We check them against the city record every week, and every page shows when it was last updated.
“Our job is to increase understanding, not agreement.”
PRIMARY SOURCES FIRST
Every article links the agendas, packets, votes, and records it draws on, so you can verify our work, not take our word for it.
FACT, ANALYSIS, OPINION, LABELED
We separate what happened from what we think it means, and we tell you which is which, every time.
CORRECTIONS, OPENLY
Accuracy beats speed. When we get something wrong, we fix it and note what changed.
Take part
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Speak at a meeting
How public comment works, when to sign up, and what to expect. A two-minute guide.
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Comment in writing
Current comment periods and surveys, with deadlines and direct links to submit.
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Join the conversation
Our Facebook group is where neighbors share updates between articles.
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Read a council packet
When the packet posts, what’s inside, and what to look for before Tuesday’s meeting.
CHERISH KIRKLAND
An independent, volunteer-led civic organization helping residents of all thirteen Kirkland neighborhoods understand local government.
Cherish Kirkland is not a political action committee, does not endorse candidates, and is not affiliated with the City of Kirkland or any political party.
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