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PARKING | Finding cause of issues downtown not as easy as finding solution [6]
FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 2015 Potala | New plan submitted to the city [11]
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LEGO | Local students compete in state championship [10]
Confusion reigns about LWHS New owner, baseball team’s potential removal from Lee Johnson Field new future? BY TJ MARTINELL tmartinell@kirklandreporter.com
A
ny doubt that playing high school baseball at Lee Johnson Field is a highly-cherished community tradition was removed Monday night at the Lake Washington School District Board meeting. Parents, Lake Washington High School baseball players and other supporters in the community appealed to the district board to stop a proposal by the high school athletic department to move the varsity team’s home games from Lee Johnson Field at Peter Kirk Park to the baseball field at the high school. The controversy started when baseball players’ parents received an email from the LWHS athletic department stating their intent to move varsity team games from Lee Johnson Field to the high school field, with all varsity games at the high school by 2017. As a demonstration of
The Lake Washington High School baseball team has made a tradition of playing its home games at Lee Johnson Field in downtown Kirkland. REPORTER FILE PHOTO community support, the petition on change.org to keep the team playing at Lee Johnson received nearly 1,000 supporters in three days. Yet, these fears may be unfounded, as the district board members were unaware of the proposal, which has drawn outrage from at least one board member. Director of District Two Christopher Carlson, a
Kirkland resident, said he had not heard anything about the proposal prior to the meeting, but is alarmed that many people think the district was responsible for it. He also expressed his frustration with what he sees as poor communication with the parties involved. “Let’s be honest, we’re a school district,” he said. “We’re trying to get levies [ more KANGS page 2 ]
Kirkland prosecutor files appeal in Hope Solo case BY TJ MARTINELL tmartinell@kirklandreporter.com
The city of Kirkland has filed an appeal with King County Superior Court after a Kirkland Municipal Court judge dismissed domestic assault charges against U.S. women’s soccer team player and Kirkland resident Hope Solo. Solo’s attorney had previously filed a motion to dismiss the charges, requesting two counts of fourth degree assault be dropped and claiming he has not been able to interview the alleged victims. City of Kirkland Prosecuting Attorney Tammy McElyea said depositions with the witnesses ultimately
took place before the judge If the King County Superior dismissed the charges, which Court decides to uphold the stemmed from an altercation appeal, the case will go back with Solo’s half sister and to Kirkland Municipal Court 17-year-old nephew during and through the process of a party at a family setting a trial date. home in Kirkland Kirkland police June 21. responded to the McElyea said the June incident after city disagrees with receiving a call at the judge’s decision, around 1 a.m. by a which she said was man stating a female not based on the at the residence was Hope Solo facts of the case but “hitting people” and technicalities and they could not get subjectivity. her to stop or to leave “We take domestic viothe house. lence in this town seriously,” When officers entered the she said. home they noticed Solo was McElyea said legal briefs upset and intoxicated, acfor the appeal are due in July, cording to police documents. with oral arguments expected They also observed visible to take place in September. [ more SOLO page 3 ]
Totem Lake Malls may have new life under a new owner from California. The Kirkland City Council extended a development plan on Tuesday for a potential buyer with interest in remaking the long-time struggling malls in the Totem Lake neighborhood. MATT PHELPS, Kirkland Reporter
City Council extends development plan for potential buyer BY TJ MARTINELL tmartinell@kirklandreporter.com.
A California-based retail development company may be on the verge of purchasing the Totem Lake Malls property in Kirkland and begin a long-talkedabout redevelopment put on hold by economic problems and legal troubles. In anticipation of the purchase, the Kirkland City Council voted on Tuesday to extend the redevelopment agreement it approved in 2006. Centercal Properties, LLC requested the city do so in order to assure that it will retain the same development standards once the purchase is completed as well as the city’s commitment of $15 million for public improvements associated with redevelopment. The redevelopment agreement was set to expire this month. While Centercal Properties was unavailable for
comment, Planning Director Eric Shields said it is close to acquiring the property. “My sense is that they are raring to go,” he said. Though Centercal hoped to have acquired the property by February, the King County Tax Accessor still lists co-owners Coventry Real Estate Advisors and Developers Diversified Realty as the owners. Neither company has returned the Reporter’s request for comment. Shields said once the property is purchased they will still have to go through a design review process for the project, and that the city has already approved an amendment to their
conceptional development plan. Shields also said that the city is expected to make other amendments as part of the design review process. Once the design review board approves the project, they will be able to obtain building permits. At the council’s Jan. 6 meeting, Centercal President Jean Paul Wardy gave a presentation describing their vision for redeveloping Totem Lake Malls, which has remained relatively empty for years due to the economic downturn and litigation between the [ more MALLS page 7 ]