Kenmore City Council Will Hold Public Hearing Regarding Removal of Restrictive Covenant at Squire’s Landing Park to Allow Proposed Active Recreation Improvements 

Kenmore, WA – The Kenmore City Council will hold a public hearing via the Zoom online platform on Monday, September 21, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. to receive citizen comment (written or oral) on the removal of a restrictive covenant from 1.5 acres at Squire’s Landing Park, 7515 NE 175th Street, Kenmore WA 98028, to comply with the state’s Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) Land Conversion process.  

Of the 40+ acre Squire’s Landing Park, approximately 19 acres was acquired with state RCO grant funding. The grant funding required a restrictive covenant that the land be used for passive recreation and wildlife habitat preservation. 

One of the 2016 voter-approved Walkways and Waterways bond levy projects, the City’s Waterfront & Natural Open Space Access Project at Squires Landing Park will improve public access to the Sammamish River.  Of the 7.25-acre project, 1.5 acres includes improvements that support active recreation use including: the proposed parking lot, restroom, river access walkway and plaza.   

For RCO to allow conversion (development) of the 1.5-acre area and remove the restrictive covenant, the City purchased 4.8 acres of replacement land located at 7637 NE 192nd Street within the Swamp Creek watershed for preservation of wildlife habitat and passive recreation use. Public comment was received in 2019 prior to RCO approving the City’s purchase of replacement property. 

Additional information including links to the City Council agenda and Zoom meeting will be available by Friday, September 18 on the project webpage.