North Rose Hill 2008 Survey

Thinking back on your responses to this survey, are there any suggestions or elaboration that we missed about safety, livability, community building, or picnic activities?

Elaboration on sidewalks / crosswalks. We cannot walk / jog along the length of 124 th Ave Ne because parts of it have - No sidewalks - Overgroups brush / deep ditch - Speeding traffic

The City Church and the amount of traffic that it brings to our neighborhood multiple days of the week needs to be addressed. Wednesday and Thursday evenings bring people cutting through the back lot onto 128th NE, and ALL DAY Sunday is a nightmare, especially if it's necessary to drive on 132nd. The recent addition of a traffic cop after Sunday services has been a welcome feature, but The City Church definitely needs to be more responsible for their impact on our community. Also, the new park that was created by the neighborhood" at Woodlands Park is great, except there is NO PARKING! I live in North Rose Hill and I often walk there with my daughter. But if my husband wants to join us after work or pick us up, we must risk our lives trying to cross 124th. It was a poor, poor decision to not put in a parking lot. Even just a small parking lot would be a huge benefit. And whoever decided that the park didn't need a baby swing obviously doesn't have ANY kids under the age of three. "

Speed monitoring along 128th and NE 95th

Need appropriate sidewalks and bike lanes throughout! NE 90th St west of 124th needs a sidewalk. 124th bike lane is partly overgrown w/ bushes.

I'm concerned at the development direction of the downtown Kirkland area. It seems that the city council is forcing out small businesses & restaurants in favor of big mixed-use commercial/residential/retirement homes. I hope we can influence the city council to help keep at least some youth & character in the area. I'd hate the waterfront to turn into an overly corporate, overly developed retirement community.

Lack of signage. I think we need Cross traffic does not stop" at NE 104 and 126 and 104NE and 128. Multiple times, I have almost been hit by the traffic that should stop for me but I guess they think it is a four way stop? There's a sign at NE95 and 128 that says "Cross traffic does not stop" and I think we need more of these. "

We still have many sidewalks needed. We need emergency preparedness on a neighborhood level. Keep the postage-stamp sized lots on the other side of 405.

Sidewalk to Costco along 90th, west of 124th. Very dangerous walking.

No more proposals to spend money on bumps, humps and circles for Slater street but not to complete the sidewalk. It makes me wonder what people are thinking. What better way to improve safety than to separate cars and pedestrians, rather than makings pedestrians cross the street 3 times and walk in the road in traffic throughout its length. creating these traffic obstacles will only force more stupid mistakes from vehicle drivers endangering pedestrians further.

Would like to see a 50" something type jazz club in downtown Kirkland "

allowing development to overtake services, primarily roads.

Better sign ordinance enforcement regarding yard signs, banners, balloons, etc., particularly at car dealers, but also other businesses. Also, has anyone noticed that there is not a freeway sign when getting onto 405 North at 124th? There is no sign at to entrance or within several blocks of it naming the freeway and it's direction (just the standard freeway entrance" sign). I have traveled many placed around the U.S. and have never seen an on-ramp to such a major freeway unmarked like that. It must be hard for person from out of town to know where they are going. "

We really need a safer cross walk at Slater and 100th st NE. We feel that there is too much development in our area. We are going to need a bigger school soon as it is Mark Twain had to add a kindergarten class and there is talk to busing kids to Rose Hill. Yikes! With so many kids in the neighborhood, safety is a major concern for us.

Sidewalks on 85th St between 128th and 132nd Ave NE REALLY need fixing! They are barely navigable with a stroller and anyone requiring a wheelchair or other assistance would have to go blocks out of their way. We should not wait for commercial redevelopment to upgrade them.

Numerous questions were written by people with predisposed desires. I may try my hand at rewriting some.

Some people put their trash cans on the sidewalk on 132nd Ave NE between NE 100th and Mark Twain park. Having to walk in the bike lane with young children is not safe.

During the flood season, the low areas of every road leading to my home flooded. It seems that at least one road could be improved to allow safe access to my neighborhood during flooding. Drainage or fill can work here. More signs indicating I-405 North from 'Zone A would be helpful."

Note: The survey FORMAT is too wide - stretches past my browser window. Also, link on flyer was incomplete - left off the .html of the URL - so many may not reply to this survey d/t inability to access.

130th Ave NE does not have much school zone signage even though all the other streets around the school do. This street has crosswalks to the school and buses driving down it frequently--it seems it should have more signs about the school zone.

No bicycle access to Sammamish River Trail and to Redmond .

community participation in park and tree lawn improvement I suggest we implore the school district fix the high level of weeds on the Mark Twain elem. yard and other schoolyards that are unsightly. The M.T. Elementary schoolyard is nothing but a field of weeds in the summertime.

Street Lighting is the area I am more concern. I live on the intersection of 122nd Lane and Slater Ave NE. At that intersection we don't have enough street lighting due to which it feels dangerous to go out in the night. Even our post box is on the other side of the road, so in winter when it becomes dark early we have to be extra cautious will crossing the street to get our mail. We did contacted King County office on this issue and their reply was that it takes $5000.00 to put an additional street light at the intersection and King County doesn't have that much budget to do that.

Add grass and park/picnic benches to the new play area at Woodlands Park .

Something needs to be done about the ugly road/business use on 85th. If you use your feet instead of a car you take your life into your hands, and it extends onto NE 124th into Rose Hill, until the sidewalks finally pick up consistently around 97th.

It would be nice to further limit recreational burning as the smoke often floats through the neighborhood.

community building: involving minorities or latin/hispanic residents via outreach and community fairs.

- The intersection of 128TH AVE NE and NE 95TH St. should have a 4-way stop sign as I frequently see drivers that assume this case. Either people travelling on 95th stop and confuse the ones travelling on 128TH AVE , or the ones travelling on 128TH AVE th

Again (as mentioned in past), I feel SAFETY is a concern for kids/pedestrians on NE 95th St . I've suggested some type of 'speed-bumps' be installed. The flashing lights (school safety) have helped somewhat but some folks just still drive too fast for this street and it's only a matter of time before we have fatalities or injuries because of this speeding problem. I have notified the City (by c/mail) of this concern so I'm on record as having a concern.

Really happy with our council members! They seem very much in tune with the neighborhoods and community issues.

Kirkland allows growth which threatens quality of life. We need to stop development at all costs" and start assessing green belts and traffic congestion. "

This city needs a bigger and better police force.

recreation: how about ping pong?

I would like to see the neighborhood do an adopt a neighbor activity. It would be nice if we could have a welcoming packet and greet every new neighbor who moves into the neighborhood. We have a lot of new housing that has been added in the southeast corner of the neighborhood. Maybe the city could work with us on a list of what is being developed.

There are many safety issues related to pedestrian and automotive interaction between Costco and the Presbyterian Church. This area in general is a blight to the City as far as the number of visitors we attract to Costco, the church and other buildings. How much more ugly and unsafe can that area become? Does someone have to drown in their car as it runs off the road on either side of 90th? When will one of those standing dead trees fall and kill someone?

Our bus service in North Rose Hill is sporadic and almost completely exposed to the elements, even at Lake Washington high school. It's a disgrace to public transportation.

What do you feel are the top three issues that your neighborhood association should focus on?

Traffic through the neighborhood. Despite the city studies, there is too much cut through traffic. City Church deposits too many cars into the neighborhood and the church continues to have more and more events, not just Sunday morning. 4-way stop at NE 95th St and 128th Ave NE- Very, Very difficult when school is starting and letting out. Also, difficult to see with the hill and bend in the road.

* Appropriate street signage and placement. ie. speed limit signs on 124th Ave near Kirkland Honda. Northbound is 30 while Southbound is 35. speed limit sign on Slater south of 100th St is behind a tree. etc. * Reduction in spending money on un-needed improvements" ie. Monies planned to be used in the creation of speed mitigation measures on Slater Ave. As the average speed is in-line with the posted limit, there is no need for traffic circles, crosswalk humps, medians, curb bulbs, and the like. * Present/Host community safety seminars. ie. emergency preparedness, fighting small home fires, household first-aid, how to be a safe pedestrian, proper use of ladders, etc. "

Sidewalks! We need more sidewalks so that there are more areas that people can walk outside and enjoy the neighborhood. By walking through the neighborhood, people create a sense of community, security and livability. I hate having to push my daughter in her stroller and hold onto the leash of my dog and navigate the speed bumps and speeding cars on NE 104th St . Encouraging appropriate development. The Cottage Company has created two beautiful developments (one technically in Redmond on the East side of 132nd) with high density living. Two blocks away there are huge, unattractive homes being built haphazardly all around. There needs to be a Beautification" committee to make sure that more ugly homes aren't built! The evening traffic from Microsoft and other companies which causes tons of traffic on 132nd and 124th with drivers trying to avoid 405. This amount of traffic and speeding drivers spills over onto the side streets creating dangerous situations. Creating an off-leash dog park would be great too! "

Bus service, Bus Service and Bus Service

For me. The noisy traffic. Especially the BOOM" music sitting at the intersection. 2nd, the litter and garbage that people throw out of their cars. 3rd. well, I'd like to see houses more affordable! :-)"

It would be great if we could find some secondary routes for traffic to get to the 405. Traffic is a bear in the PM.

Making sure the new construction homes being built are clean and safe around their site. I have had to walk into the street because the workers have parked on the sidewalk or have put materials on the sidewalk. Commuters constantly speed thru NE 100 between 124the Ave and 132 Ave as they get stuck on one of the N/S streets and switch to another street. We need to make sure they get caught by the police especially since this is a school zone.

No more Honda give-aways More Sidewalks Unsuitable Development

Fast traffic through neighborhoods is too common

transportation safety and congestion. pedestrian safety- sidewalks, crosswalks, paths, development impacts including environmental and social

lack of neighborhood involvement by individuals overdevelopment cutting bus routes

Storm water sidewalks continue to develop ways for neighbors to get to know each other.

Connecting sidewalks. In particular, the stretch on NE 90th St between 124th Ave NE and Costco. It gets a lot of traffic and there is no shoulder. It is popular to walk along to go to Costco or the other shopping centers in the area. Supporting, protecting, and taking care of our open spaces while still encouraging housing density instead of sprawl.

traffic, more involvement in neighborhood programs( don't know how you do this )

Over-development issues/Sustainable development Sidewalks, safe cross-walks Freeway noise reduction

maintaining livability across ranges of incomes. With many here working in tech jobs, it could be easy to focus resources on bonus" amenities, but we need to make sure basic needs are met to keep people of "living wages" here in the neighborhood as well. - public safety, inc. emergency preparedness and crime prevention. - events that get people out of their homes and relating to each other (discussion groups, books clubs, knitting groups, kids' equipment swap meet, community rummage sale - I'm sure there are tons of ideas) "

Encouraging walking by building more sidewalks along major roads. This is really my only complaint about the neighborhood.

slowing/stopping the development that is driving out wildlife and habitats - improving/encouraging usage of Mark Twain Park

Flooding/drainage, community involvement, and local food production are issues upon which our neighborhood association could focus. Could we get a farmers' market?

1) Fix the so-called 'improvement' to the Slater/Ne 116th curve. Since this change several years ago, it is very difficult for traffic coming from east on NE 116th to get into the traffic flow (i.e. get to 405, to get to work, in rush hour). We must negotiate traffic coming from both Slater & from the 124th/116th intersection. This often requires sitting thru 2 lights before a safe break appears. There are many drivers dodging into traffic, or pretending to take the right yield & then backtracking to the left, to access 124th/116th intersection. This 'improvement' seem to punish residents living along NE 116th & east of there. Really disappointing.

Sidewalks, speeding, and community activities

Poor bus service to Seattle (UW) and Microsoft. No bike connection to Sammamish river trail, though could be (along 100th Street or 93th St.) Poor condition of bike lane on 132th Street, it is filled by dirt and broken glass; traffic light on the intersection with Redmond Way does not react on bikes, including light motorcycles.

The city council should consider changing the signage ordnances along 85th. Several strip malls have tacky aluminum-box neon signs. Businesses should be required to maintain their storefronts and signage in an architecturally pleasing manner.

General safety of neighborhood

community social integration Design a structure of contacts, locations for first aid relief and shelter in the event of natural disaster. Offer a disaster preparedness course.

1> Street Lighting at the intersection of 122nd Lane and Slater Avenue NE. 2> Too many development going around the Zone B and Zone C areas. 3> Mischievous kids on the Road.

* Overdevelopment : I fear with all these 'no-yard, 3 giant single houses built in place of a rambler' developments, there would be no green area left in 10 years. * Noise : construction(lately) and dogs. Lots of neighbors leaves their dogs in the yard while they are not home. Constant barking.

1. Sidewalks, or lack thereof 2. Traffic -- further slowing down the dragsters from LWHS that pour on to Slater from 124th via the residential streets. Speed bumps just don't do anything. 3. Further development of the parts so that someone could have a real barbecue there -- get the city to lighten up on the codes.

We are having issues with excessive speeding down 132nd Ave NE. We live on the street and its scary to turn into our driveway now as I feel like I will be rear-ended by someone else.

1. It sure would be nice if one could walk safely along 124th Ave NE (from NE 85th to NE 116th) using a sidewalk on one side or the other and/or have crosswalks along the road when one sidewalk ends and another one begins on the other side. Currently there are stretches of road where no sidewalks exist on either side. 2. Would be nice if it were made more clear on 92nd Ave NE as to where one can or can't park on the side of the road.

Doing a fine job! Keep it up!

Making the neighborhood more pedestrian friendly.

safety, road visibility and travel, diversity.

changing building codes so that the city of trees" actually has houses built with enough land surrounding them to plant a tree. right now Kirkland is being taken over with giant homes covering up all the land. "

1, Keeping on top of, and members informed of, proposed developments-- and the city's plans and projects 2, Do what we can to increase neighborliness." 3. Attack the intrusive ivy problem."

1. Safety: both in terms of crime potential and traffic. 2. Police response time. 3. Building / development control Would suggest possible consideration of strategic placement of cameras to be able to capture all activity in the area and to let it be known that these cameras exist and are functional; thus forewarning all who might be prone to illegal activities.

More sidewalks, especially along 124th walking to 85th

Monitoring housing density as lots are subdivided

Traffic, Traffic , Traffic

1. Overdevelopment 2. Graffiti/young adult aggression/drugs 3. preserving green belts and improving park areas

1) Speeding traffic on residential streets. This means noisy traffic as a result, as well as safety concerns. Overdevelopment w/in North Rose hill has increased residential traffic. 2) Neighbors allow their cats to prowl the neighborhood, using their neighbors' yards as litter boxes, & threatening native songbird populations. 3) Massive overdevelopment--very little wildlife, as all has been forced out.

More bus service with covered shelters. Continued slowing of traffic---more cars seem to be cutting through the neighborhood to avoid other traffic stops.

no more mega houses

Lack of sidewalks, lack of streetlights, keeping a variety of housing types in the neighborhood.

Water breeding mosquitoes in the Forbes Lake build-up area between 90th and the lake. Safety for drivers and pedestrians in the Forbes Lake area. Traffic congestion continuing to grow as Costco and the City force the development of a new gas station.

Storm water run off and drainage is a problem. Over sized houses on small lots.

1. Exposing and opposing inappropriate city actions (Nienaber house/wetland issues) 2. Building community 3. Increasing safety in areas where it is a concern

What are the top things you like about living in North Rose Hill?

Location-Easy access to Eastside communities and I405. Access to downtown Kirkland-However parking for downtown events can be challenging and there is not good bus service to get back up the hill!

The easy access to freeways and close to work.

1. Kids playground / park 2. Walking / enjoying nature 3. Very little or no new construction -> no noise, consolidates property value.

The friendliness of most of the neighbors has been exceptional. Living so close to so many parks and playgrounds (especially within walking distance) is great for my daughter and me. I also love that we are close to everything but we are also separate from much of the hubbub of downtown Kirkland and Redmond and the 405 corridor. I also love the tall trees that have managed to escape the developers and the wrecking ball.

Peaceful setting, location to work

Very close to work! Everything I need is close and conveniently by.

I love the focus on kids & creating a good environment to grow up in.

I love Woodlands Park , the nice neighborhood feel, and having the area be low crime.

Spacious lots not built one-on-top-of-another we still have trees location convenient to the rest of the region People get involved

I feel save here It's relatively quiet We know our neighbors

Convenient access to services and freeway

Beauty convenience to everywhere excellent and very involved group of city council individuals

We love the location of the area and accessibility to other areas like totem lake, rose hill downtown and Redmond . We also like the fact that we feel safe in Kirkland , thank you KPD.

natural setting close to everything safe

Convenience to the freeway, Microsoft, and basic services such as grocery shopping Excellent schools Lots of nice parks within walking distance Quiet, safe neighborhoods The pleasant feeling of downtown Kirkland (compared with Bellevue or Redmond) - pedestrian friendly, beaches, nice restaurants, Peter Kirk Park and pool, the library, and the performance center all right there. Good free parking in the library garage.

close to things we need(stores, doctors and other like services), we live on a street with mainly single family homes and we like being able to know our neighbors, being able to participate in neighborhood programs and having city officials visit our meeting(I feel this gives me voice in the community)

Location, nice people, well kept yards (at least on my block).

Woodlands Park/Green spaces/parks Mark Twain elementary school Low crime

- convenience - great neighbors - global warming will give us lake-front property some day ;-)

Location, safety, parks nearby

Seattle City Light's power line. Costco traffic I405 sounds

walkable neighborhood - good location - easy to get to Redmond/Bellevue and highways - good parks

Bus routes, Proximity to arterial roads and Bellevue , and The Sales Tax is only 2.4% above the state standard.

1) Easy access to 405; 2) near Kirkland , which has somehow maintained it's 'small town' flavor & lower building height. 3) Trader Joes! 4) CERT program - this was a great community builder, I thought. 5) Easy access to Redmond & Bellevue 6) Nice, quiet, nature-oriented, simple parks (Juanita Beach & Juanita Bay, Mark Twain) 7) relatively low traffic (compared to Bellevue) 8) I LOVE the new exit-only lane at NE 116th (my exit) & the new 116th SB on-ramp seems to have improved traffic flow too.

Location/Accessibility and the people

Walkable streets, location

Quiet and green. Close to schools and parks. Convenient location.

Residential feel yet close to businesses and I-405

Low crime

It is quiet. It has a low level of vandalism and crime. The streets are on a grid pattern that make it easy to access our homes. Most people take care of their landscapes.

1. Nice Neighborhood 2. Less traffic during the day. The peak time is mostly 5:00-6:00 on 124th Avenue . 3. Not far from Workplace.

Peaceful environment (Unfortunately this has started to change see my comments above)

1. Friendly neighbors. 2. Relatively low crime rate. 3. Access to downtown Kirkland .

Location, how most people care about their dwelling and keep it up.

1. Clean and beautiful 2. Quite and friendly

1) The quality of my neighborhood , 2) proximity to Seattle and East Side cities, 3) general quality of life

Good access to services. Safe, well kept neighborhood. Proximity to downtown Kirkland .

still feels like a quiet neighborhood, but close to freeways and livelier downtown area or bigger cities.

Very nice, clean neighborhood, friendly neighbors.

Peaceful and nice. Well-kept homes. Parks. Handy to shops and services.

Proximity to everything. At least to this point, the control that the City has maintained in regard to building and development. City seems to have maintained it's 'character' by this control, whereas cities (like Bellevue ) are turning into just another cookie-cutter type metropolitan area.

Small, close to downtown Kirkland and totem lake, Parks nice.

Proximity to Microsoft Quiet neighborhoods Excellent school

Convenience to other areas, ie. downtown Kirkland , Redmond and Bellevue .

1. Location 2. Parks 3. Quiet suburb

I like the people even though the neighborhood itself has changed a lot in the last 20 years we've lived here. No more horse lots or chickens in the front yard. I miss it.

1) Relative safety. 2) Neighbors care about their properties, making yards look attractive w/ landscaping & flowers. 3) Mixture of home styles, prices, & ages in North Rose hill neighborhoods. This comment excludes new development which is too similar in style & price. 4) I like the cottage homes on NE 128th Ave. Although' they are crammed on the property & are small, these cottage homes are a nice experiment in a different style home.

It is a relatively quiet neighborhood with nothing much happening except the building of more houses on small lots as the result of short plats.

walking trails nice neighbors for now anyway, our neighborhood is safe.

The activism of the neighborhood and the concern to keep it a vital community.

Proximity to I-405 Views Pleasant people

Conifer ridge still has conifers, so we don't feel like we're in suburbia. Kids own the streets in our neighborhood, making it very play-friendly.