An update from outgoing Kenmore City Manager Rob Karlinsey

You may have heard that I’ll be leaving Kenmore at the end of this month and will be managing a city in browner pastures (eastern Washington).  While I may be jumping ship, I hope you’re still on board and buckled in as the City continues to make progress in several key areas. Here’s my final “hot topics” update before I move on:

Middle Housing
Thanks to the the Planning Commission’s excellent policy work, the City Council adopted a major Comprehensive Plan update late last year that included setting the table for middle housing (duplexes, triplexes, and accessory dwelling units) in Kenmore.  Now that those high-level policies are in place, the Planning Commission is working to develop the implementing regulations that will make the middle housing policies a reality. These discussions have been underway since the beginning of the year, and they will be wrapping up in the next few weeks. The Planning Commission’s recommendations on middle housing regulations will go to the City Council for final adoption in June.  For questions, contact Principal Planner Todd Hall at thall@kenmorewa.gov.

Lakepointe
As reported in a “Top 4” post earlier this year, we had some sad news and some good news about Lakepointe. Sad News: We were saddened to learn about the passing of Gary Sergeant, one of the owners and the City’s main point of contact for the Lakepointe property. Gary passed away at the end of December. Gary’s vision for Lakepointe to develop into a beautiful urban village for all to enjoy was steadfast until the very end.

Good News: Last November, the King County Council approved a $7.5 million Conservation Futures grant to help the City acquire about 15 acres of the Lakepointe property for shoreline habitat restoration and public park land. The City does not yet have an agreement to purchase this property, but has been making progress. City staff have been in recent contact with the Sergeant’s and will give the family time to grieve and settle affairs, and then the City will resume negotiations for the property in the near future.

When the time is right and when there is a due diligence agreement in place, the City will conduct proper due diligence on the property, including testing for contaminants, prior to agreeing to close on and purchase the property. 

Lakepointe continues to be a vision and a priority of the City Council.  We hope to pick up where we left off with the Sergeant family in the coming weeks. Visit the Lakepointe webpage to learn more and to read a recent article from Mayor Herbig at kenmorewa.gov/lakepointe.

Imagine Housing Proposal
On September 30 of last year, the City Council approved a non-binding letter of intent (LOI) with Imagine Housing to purchase and develop the city-owned vacant lot on the north side of 181st Street behind Safeway. This LOI outlines key deal points, including purchase price of the land, number and mix of affordable units, and timelines. Imagine held a series of informational events, including a town hall for the public late last month.  A binding purchase and sale agreement may be ready for the City Council to consider as soon as March 24 or the first part of April. Go to the Imagine Housing webpage and the City’s webpage (kenmorewa.gov/theapproach) to get more details on the latest iteration of this proposal.

City Manager Recruitment
This is the newest of the hot topics. Last month, the City Council selected GMP Consultants, an executive search firm, to conduct a competitive process to recruit and select my replacement. This process will likely take several months. My colleagues will keep you posted as this process progresses. In the meantime, the City Council has appointed Deputy City Manager Stephanie Lucash to serve as interim city manager between the time I leave and when my permanent replacement comes on board.

Public Works Operation Center
We hope to be under construction to build the new Public Works Operations Center next to Kenmore Middle School by the end of this summer. Land use permits, zoning, and financing are all in place. The architect is full steam ahead on finalizing the designs.  We plan on requesting bids for the site work late spring/early summer. Let’s cross our fingers that we get favorable bids! The Public Works Operations Center will be a vital facility in helping our crews care for the city’s infrastructure, parks, and environment.

Well that’s it for now! As always, there is a lot more happening.  It’s been a pleasure serving as your city manager. Thank you for making my time here in Kenmore truly rewarding. I’ll be checking in on you regularly, and I’m excited to see Kenmore’s future unfold. 

In the meantime, we hope you stay on this ride and stay updated—these issues directly affect all of us not only here and now, but also for generations to come.

- Rob Karlinsey, City Manager