Hello - for those of you who don't know, these parcels were sold to a developer, and they currently have a plan submitted to the City of Kirkland to short plat the parcels into 12 lots. This would completely decimate the forest, the stability of the hill, and the animal populations who call this green space home.

Although further signatures on the petition won't help the City of Kirkland decide whether to allow this development, emailing them during the comment period (Oct 30-Nov 17 2025) may help. The email address is: pvellaipandian@kirklandwa.gov 

Here's what I said to the City council when they met about the property in 2024:

There are four parcels at the end of our road that recently sold to a developer. We have been trying, for several years, to prevent this sale. These parcels allow children to walk to the local elementary school. They allow residents access to Juanita Heights Park. And, most importantly, they are home to old growth trees and many species of animals. Some of you came to see the forest parcels last Summer. After viewing the land, you were able to put a stop to a proposed 16-house development. Neighbors banded together in pledging money to help buy the properties with the City, and we were told that the land would be preserved. Unfortunately this deal fell through, and the developer is currently trying to obtain approval to clear this pristine piece of forest. We have submitted a petition with 347 signatures attesting to many people’s feelings about the development.

Codes and rules are born out of necessity, out of situations where, in retrospect, something shouldn’t have been built the way it was. Or in the worst cases, something that led to tragedy and environmental collapse. I have worked with City staff to change the rules of construction on Goat Hill, and to recognize that it is a separate entity from other neighborhoods in its fragility and lack of access. Clearing these parcels for homes will have a tremendously negative effect. We are already seeing the impact that other approved developments are having. Last week, we were walking our dog at the top of Goat Hill. We heard the neighborhood eagles above, and looked up to see them flying over a site that had been cleared several hours previously. We realized that the eagles were circling dead space in the sky where their nest had been. Their tree was collateral damage. Thinking about this happening to the forest at the end of our road is heart breaking. For our neighborhood and for the people that have signed our petition, we ask you to consider our story. For the eagles, the bobcats, and the deer, we ask you to consider our story. For the health and clean water of Lake Washington below, we ask you to consider our story. You have the power to determine the fate of our city. We know that you encourage green space preservation, and that you have done much work already. Perhaps it’s too late for us. But if this plea changes one line of code regarding old growth forest or one mind about how much development should be allowed in fragile neighborhoods such as ours, then it has not been a waste.