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Good morning. Issue seven of the Kirkland Dispatch: the budget hearings, one overnight closure you will want to plan around, the reader question on who decides what, the market in three numbers, and one thing to do this weekend.
Heads up
- NE 132nd Street at the I-405 roundabouts, 10 PM to 5 AM, this week. Crews are doing speed cushions, striping and sign work at night, about a week, weather permitting. No detour is posted, so plan the late drive around it. City traffic alerts
Kirkland this week
Council hears the budget on Wednesday, November 4. The study session opens at 5:30 PM and the regular meeting at 7:30 PM, City Hall, 123 5th Avenue. The meeting holds the first public hearing on the 2027–2028 budget, the 2027–2032 capital plan and the preliminary 2027 property tax levy. Insurance Commissioner Kuderer also presents on how wildfires are moving the insurance market. Council calendar
The same night: a station name and minimum wage options. Council takes up naming the NE 85th Street station area and then minimum wage options as business items. Neither is a vote on the budget. Council calendar
A second budget hearing on November 17. Council takes the second hearing, then the 2027 property tax levy for adoption, on the same evening it reviews a Juanita Pathway feasibility update. Budget comments go to [email protected] before the December 8 adoption. City of Kirkland
Small Business Saturday is November 28. The city will again recognize the day to support local shops. City of Kirkland
Your neighborhood
Central Houghton. Council's November 17 business list includes a purchase-and-sale agreement for the Houghton Village property. Council calendar
Sold near you: 12 homes closed within 0.8 mile of the neighborhood center in the last 45 days, median $1.68M (range $235K to $3.59M); the fastest went from listing to closing in 19 days.
Everest. Nothing new on the city's news or calendar names Everest this week. The November 4 capital-plan hearing covers the citywide list. Council calendar
Sold near you: 30 homes closed within 0.8 mile of the neighborhood center in the last 45 days, median $1.79M (range $235K to $4.29M); the fastest went from listing to closing in 9 days.
Evergreen Hill. Nothing new this week names Evergreen Hill on the city calendar. The two budget hearings, November 4 and November 17, are the citywide items to watch. Council calendar
Sold near you: 16 homes closed within 0.8 mile of the neighborhood center in the last 45 days, median $700K (range $190K to $1.64M); the fastest went from listing to closing in 24 days.
Finn Hill. Nothing new on the city's news or calendar names Finn Hill this week. The November 4 and November 17 budget hearings cover the citywide capital list. Council calendar
Sold near you: 11 homes closed within 0.8 mile of the neighborhood center in the last 45 days, median $920K (range $330K to $1.83M); the fastest went from listing to closing in 12 days.
Highlands. Nothing new this week names Highlands on the city's news or calendar. The November 4 hearing on the capital plan covers the citywide list. Council calendar
Sold near you: 20 homes closed within 0.8 mile of the neighborhood center in the last 45 days, median $1.63M (range $675K to $4.29M); the fastest went from listing to closing in 22 days.
Juanita. Crews are replacing stormwater pipe on NE 116th Street near 101st Place NE and 104th. Expect traffic control from 9 AM to 3 PM on weekdays, with bicycles merging into traffic, flaggers, or traffic shifted to the center lane. The work is expected to run into November. City traffic alerts
Sold near you: 22 homes closed within 0.8 mile of the neighborhood center in the last 45 days, median $980K (range $265K to $1.74M); the fastest went from listing to closing in 26 days.
Lakeview. Nothing new on the city's news or calendar names Lakeview this week. The November 4 budget hearing is the citywide item to watch. Council calendar
Sold near you: 14 homes closed within 0.8 mile of the neighborhood center in the last 45 days, median $1.85M (range $235K to $4.75M); the fastest went from listing to closing in 19 days.
Market. Nothing new this week names the Market neighborhood on the city's news or calendar. The November 4 and November 17 budget hearings are the citywide items to watch. Council calendar
Sold near you: 26 homes closed within 0.8 mile of the neighborhood center in the last 45 days, median $1.99M (range $960K to $7.50M); the fastest went from listing to closing in 20 days.
Moss Bay. An update to October 29: the Peter Kirk Pool design-build award is still on council's November 17 list, with a $300,000 validation phase as the first contract value. Council calendar
Sold near you: 24 homes closed within 0.8 mile of the neighborhood center in the last 45 days, median $2.33M (range $540K to $4.35M); the fastest went from listing to closing in 9 days.
Norkirk. Nothing new on the city's news or calendar names Norkirk this week. The November 4 budget hearing is the citywide item to watch. Council calendar
Sold near you: 29 homes closed within 0.8 mile of the neighborhood center in the last 45 days, median $1.90M (range $740K to $4.35M); the fastest went from listing to closing in 20 days.
North Rose Hill. Council's November 17 consent list includes authorizing a request for proposals to lease the church property at 13220 NE 132nd Street for community purposes. Council calendar
Sold near you: 19 homes closed within 0.8 mile of the neighborhood center in the last 45 days, median $1.60M (range $485K to $3.60M); the fastest went from listing to closing in 28 days.
South Rose Hill / Bridle Trails. Nothing new on the city's news or calendar names this neighborhood this week. The November 4 budget hearing is the citywide item to watch. Council calendar
Sold near you: 13 homes closed within 0.8 mile of the neighborhood center in the last 45 days, median $1.50M (range $935K to $4.58M); the fastest went from listing to closing in 19 days.
Totem Lake. Sanitary sewer work at the Trend Lift Station keeps the NE 112th Street closure at 132nd Avenue NE in place. Local access is maintained, and the city lists no detour. City traffic alerts
Sold near you: 13 homes closed within 0.8 mile of the neighborhood center in the last 45 days, median $1.02M (range $235K to $1.60M); the fastest went from listing to closing in 24 days.
This week's poll
Which Kirkland park do you walk to most this fall?
The market in 60 seconds
Across Kirkland ZIPs 98033 and 98034, the median home sold for $1.22M over the last 30 days (99 closings in the window). The median home took 53 days from listing to closing, and there are 4.6 months of inventory on the market.
Inventory eased a little from last week's 4.7 months, with 452 active listings. Single-family homes are tighter at 3.8 months. Still balanced territory: under three months favors sellers, above six favors buyers. About 8% of homes closed above asking in the last 30 days.
One useful thing: Clocks went back, so check the smoke alarms
Clocks went back Sunday, which is the traditional day to check smoke alarms. For alarms with standard batteries, the U.S. Fire Administration recommends testing monthly and replacing 9-volt batteries at least once a year. Alarms with long-life lithium batteries need no battery change on the clock schedule. Every smoke alarm expires about 10 years after its date of manufacture, so check the back of the unit. NFPA: changing clocks and batteries · USFA smoke alarms
Reader asked
A reader in Juanita asked who actually makes the big decisions in Kirkland, the city or King County, and how residents can weigh in before a vote. The city council sets Kirkland's budget, streets, parks and land-use rules, and it meets the first and third Tuesday of each month, with study sessions at 5:30 PM and regular meetings at 7:30 PM. The county council is the legislative branch for countywide services such as transit, wastewater and solid waste, and for services in unincorporated areas. Kirkland's residents are in city limits, so the county's role here is regional. Before a city budget vote, the November 4 and November 17 hearings are the place to speak, and budget comments go to [email protected]. For county matters, the county council takes general public comment on the fourth Tuesday of the month, and written testimony sent by email before 10 AM on the meeting day reaches councilmembers before the meeting. Council calendar · King County Code, Title 1 Know a neighbor asking the same thing? Forward this; they can subscribe at kirklanddispatch.com.
Your turn. Name one corner, lot or building you pass every day and wonder about. We'll look up the permit and print what we find. Hit reply; every one gets an answer, and the best answers run in a future issue.
Bring a neighbor in. Your own link: {{rp_refer_url}} · you have brought {{rp_num_referrals}} so far. 1 neighbor: Your first name in the issue, and the Kirkland weekend list a day early · 3: A coffee and a pastry at a Kirkland café · 5: The Kirkland Dispatch tote · 10: Dinner for two at a Kirkland restaurant.
Curious what your place would sell for right now? Reply with your address and we'll send what homes like yours have sold for nearby.
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The Kirkland Dispatch is published by Neighborhood Press LLC, owned by Adriano Tori. It is researched and written with AI tools, and every item links its public source. Reply to this email; every reply gets an answer.