Kenmore Undressed

Waterfront Construction is Leaving Kenmore – Now What?

WHO WILL CONTROL LAKEPOINTE?

There has been a long-standing and important discussion about developing the waterfront area here in Kenmore known as Lakepointe. Since 1989 there has been a proposed development of the 45 acres on Lake Washington where the Sammamish River enters the lake. It is one of those wonderfully ambitious, visionary and seemingly impossible projects that has yet to materialise.

The fact is, Kenmore’s waterfront is a a real eyesore that looks more like an industrial wasteland than a part of our city.  One of my readers recently commented:

“We have one Petunia in an onion PATCH. That would be LakePointe. If this is not developed and handled properly it will be all onions!!!!The City needs to get involved and not let greed and grandois ambition cloud their goal. The community needs to get involved and not assume someone else is watching out for their interests, no one is. We have health, environmental, clean water issues, ground water issues, storm water issues, hazardous waste issues, toxic issues, and more all on the one piece of property, LakePointe(45 acre Peninsula). We have the potential to pull Kenmore out of the designation labeled the armpit of Lake Washington,to Kenmore’s only opportunity for an economic, vibrant,environmentally friendly, community, the Last Pearl to be found, on Lake Washington, if we choose, this vision can only happen as a community effort.”

This is not an uncommon opinion expressed to me by my friends and neighbors here in “our fair city.” It’s one of those “if only” conversations about how incredible Kenmore could be if there was the vision and money to transform our truly spectacular position on Lake Washington from a gritty, off-limits wasteland to a vibrant waterfront community.

Waterfront Construction Gives Notice

Waterfront Construction is leaving in June 2010- What's going to happen now?

In a recent article in the Kenmore/Bothell Reporter by Tom Corrigan, it was reported that Kenmore’s Waterfront Construction (WC) will be leaving it’s location at the mouth of the Sammamish. WC has been the subject of a number of accusations regarding environmental violations. Several local watchdog groups have been accusing Waterfront of various questionable practices but Waterfront has indicated that this is not reason for their departure.

Is This the Beginning of Something New?

Since this news broke, a number of people have asked me what might happen with the property. Could this be the beginning of a transformation at Lakepointe? I’ve heard rumours that the City wants to purchase the property in order to create a park. I really have no idea what’s going to happen, but I think all of us here in Kenmore need to focus our attention on this development.

I would encourage you to contact the Mayor and City Council to see what they think about this situation. Don’t let this opportunity pass us by. Just click on this link for a directory:

http://www.cityofkenmore.com/Page.aspx?cid=1698

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Kenmore Village or Kenmore Twilight Zone?

AND THEN THERE WERE TWO!

Last October I wrote a post entitled “Kenmore Village – Squandering a Chance to Create a 21st Century City” in which I expressed my frustration about the way in which the Kenmore City Council and city leadership have essentially allowed Kenmore Village to become a ghost-town. Pardon me for being so blunt, but it’s a disgrace to see business after business vacate Kenmore Village whilst the City Council clings to the false hope that Urban Partners LLC will someday be developing this site.  To add insult to injury the City of Kenmore is simultaneously building a new City Hall right across the street at great expense.

Kenmore Village is Down to Two Businesses!

On February 10th  the owner of Grocery Outlet told me, officially, that she is moving her store to Kenmore Square at the beginning of April. This means that there will be two businesses left in the square: European Deli and Kenmore Fitness.

So What’s Next?

I’ve got to tell you, I drive past the new City Hall and the almost-empty twilight zone “formerly-known-as-the-Kenmore-Village” every day and I can’t help but wonder why it is that the citizens of Kenmore can’t see the uber-irony in all this.

I can tell you that there are a lot of business owners in Kenmore who feel that the City Council doesn’t care about business development. Some have pointed to their own dealings with the City and many have also pointed to the Kenmore Village as emblematic of a City Leadership that is unresponsive to the realities facing the business community. Everyone wants to know why the City is holding on to Urban Partners LLC WITHOUT A PLAN B!

The Kenmore City Council, Mayor and City Managers owe us an explanation regarding the current status of the Kenmore Village. I don’t think the City of Kenmore can afford to allow the structures in the village to sit empty. When will the City Council tell us what they’re going to do with this important asset? I highly recommend you all get on the phone, call the Mayor and council members and tell them that we want answers regarding the Kenmore Village.

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Kenmore Home Sales, Janary 2010 – Not Bad Compared to 2009!

Warm Weather Brought a Warmer Real Estate Market to Kenmore

Last night I attended our neighborhood annual Home Owner’s Association Meeting and there was a lot of concern about property values and questions about how the real estate market was going to perform in 2010. There is no reason to believe that 2010 will bring much change to this tough market. Lending continues to be tight and I have a sense that the job market will have more of a negative impact on the market than does price or inventory. Even so, last month buyers were obviously taking advantage of tax credits and low interest rates. So let’s take a quick look at January which turned out to be a good month for home sales in Kenmore:

ACTIVE LISTINGS

We saw a 31% decrease in inventory compared to last January (148). I believe a lot of homeowners have finally realized that unless they absolutely MUST move, they are staying put. One interesting factor this last month was the number of new construction homes that were offered and sold. Currently, 27% of the active listing are new construction and many of these homes (DH Horton homes) are smaller 1500-2000 square foot houses at the low $300,ooo price point. It was a smart move to build smaller. The builder is also offering some attractive buyer’s incentives. 39% of the inventory has dropped in price and many of these price reductions are significant.

PENDING SALES

Pending sales are encouraging as they represent homes that are in the sales process. Last January there were only 19 pending sales. It’s also a positive sign that the days-on-market are fairly low at 64 days. Something to keep in mind is that 43% of the pending sales are new construction. Only 16% were “distressed” properties.

SOLD HOMES

Last January there were a whopping 8 homes that sold! We did much better this year. Of course, this time last year we were still recovering from the most severe winter in many years and that certainly made things tough; however, it’s nice to see that we had some good activity. I would like to point out that fully 58% of the homes that sold last month were new construction, most of which were the lower priced properties. As the new homes are sold out, it will be interesting to see how the remaining inventory will sell. I can tell you that selling a home that’s over $450,000 is  challenging.

So the 2010 real estate market started out much better than last year. Let’s hope that the momentum continues. If you have any questions regarding the Kenmore housing market or have questions about the value of your home, please give me a call at 206.713.2102 or email me at jlupori@gmail.com.

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What Are The Most Important Challenges Facing Kenmore in 2010?

I recently sat down with Bob Hensel, one of our new City Council members. He had invited me to have a cup of coffee and talk about “our fair city” Kenmore, WA. He was sincerely interested in discovering what sort of issues were on my mind regarding Kenmore, its current challenges and its future. I must say, it was nice to “think out-loud” with Bob as he was a good (and patient) listener!!! So I thought I’d give you an opportunity to vote on what you believe are the important challenges facing Kenmore in 2010. Please answer the poll below and, if I didn’t mention something you consider worthy of note, by all means, tell us what you think in the “comments” section.

You may vote for two items!

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Drenched in Kenmore – A Wet Beginning to 2010

Water Water Everywhere

Ducks enjoying the flooded yard of this home

This neighbor is getting flooded by overflow from Swamp Creek!

The beginning of 2010 is reminding us that winter in the Northwest is all about rain and grey skies. I haven’t gone to any fancy meteorological websites to confirm exactly how much rain has fallen this last week. It doesn’t matter. I do know this: IT HAS BEEN RAINING A LOT and there’s evidence everywhere:

Water runoff on 80th Avenue

The creek in front of our neighborhood

This is the surface water runoff burm in our neighborhood...VERY FULL!

Here in the Seattle area we often forget how fortunate we are to have such a lush, mild climate. Along with the rains this year have come some fairly moderate temperatures (40°- 50°). Unlike last year’s brutal snowfall, we are enjoying a fairly normal weather pattern.

But, the picture below is a quintessential portrait of a winter day in Kenmore….wet, grey and subdued…..I can’t wait for the next “sun break!”

The Sun is out there!!! Really!

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Bastyr University – Kenmore’s Greatest Asset!

Thinking Out Loud about Bastyr University

In a recent press release by Bastyr University, it was announced that the City of Kenmore approved a master-plan which will nurture a greater level of cooperation between this famous University and the city. Click on the link below to read the whole press release:

KENMORE CITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY APPROVES BASTYR UNIVERSITY MASTER PLAN

To me, this is really good news. There is no other institution in the City of Kenmore that commands national and, indeed international recognition as Bastyr. I feel it’s time to take the relationship one step further and have the city leadership approach Bastyr with a plan to create a satellite campus in the current Kenmore Village. This is not my idea. I’ve spoken with a number of residents who believe this would be both feasible and beneficial to everyone.

Think of the possibilities: The University could offer classes and also have a “store front” that might offer acupuncture, homoeopathic or herbal medicines and other products/services that are a reflection of Bastyr’s mission!

I would love to hear any other ideas Kenmore residents have about forming a deeper relationship with Bastyr University. Oh, and for some other Bastyr news:

BASTYR UNIVERSITY HOSTS 12TH ANNUAL SPLASH AND DASH
Students, faculty and staff plunge into new year with icy swimming tradition

These are some tough honchos and honchettes!!!!

ATTEND THE INNOVATIVE SERIES: BODY, MIND, SPIRIT, NATURE AND MEDICINE

BASTYR HOSTING SERIES ON SPIRITUALITY AND HEALTH
Events presented by the Bastyr Center for Spirituality, Science and Medicine

The Bastyr University Center for Spirituality, Science and Medicine is pleased to present “Body, Mind, Spirit, Nature and Medicine: A Series of Conversations.” This innovative series brings together Bastyr experts and leading local authorities on physical, mental and spiritual health to discuss how each focus area is vital to whole-person health and health care. Presented in early 2010, the three talks will focus on “body,” “mind” and “spirit” respectively. They will be moderated by Warren Etheredge, founder of The Warren Report.

The Jan. 11 talk will focus on “Body” and include the perspectives of Seattle physicians Christine Adams, MD; Cathy Rogers, ND; and internationally recognized mind/body expert Joel Levey, PhD. The Feb. 1 event will cover “Mind” and feature Bastyr University faculty member Brad Lichtenstein, ND; Seattle naturopathic physician Sheila Dunn-Merritt; and Robert V. Taylor, author of I’m Spiritual Not Religious: Making Sense of Finding Meaning. The discussion on Feb. 8 will revolve around “Spirit” and include Rabbi Ted Falcon, PhD, co-founder of Bet Alef Meditative Synagogue in Seattle; Terrill L. Gibson, PhD, pastoral psychotherapist; and Leanna Standish, ND, PhD, LAc, FABNO, medical director of the Bastyr Integrative Oncology Research Center (BIORC).

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But Santa, I Didn’t Ask For a New KENMORE City Hall! .

Ever Receive a Gift You Did Not Want or Even Ask For?

Did the Citizens of Kenmore Ask for a New City Hall?

Yesterday my wife and I celebrated Christmas with our friends. We had a nice turkey dinner with all the trimmings and then we opened gifts. Nothing terribly earth shattering about it. As adults, we are well-aware that gift giving is fairly predictable. We give our  friends and family the “wish list” and basically, we receive some of the things we ask for. We also try to give our loved-one’s things that they want or need. Occasionally, we get the rouge gift (in my case someone always gives me a little “off-color” treat) or we get a real “surprise” that makes the celebration truly fun. Yes, it’s all part of a spirit of generosity and friendship. Good stuff!

But Then I Think About the Gift that Keeps On Taking

Unfortunately, there are times when Santa brings us stuff that we don’t want or need or (frankly) appreciate. You know, the ugly toaster, the ill-fitting shirt or cheap jewelry. We smile and say thank you knowing in the back of our minds that we will either take the offending “thing” back or exchange it for something better. The fact is, this situation is really easy to fix and no one gets upset.

Well, my fellow Kenmore Residents, every day I drive past the construction site of the new Kenmore City Hall, and I can’t help but think of it as one of those presents that we didn’t ask for. I don’t know of anyone who was asked by the City Council if they wanted a new city hall. It wasn’t on anyone’s “got-t0-have-it” list. The most disturbing thing is our City Leaders are spending A LOT OF MONEY ($18 Million) to build the new city hall…….city money, the community’s money. Basically, it’s like giving someone a present by taking money out of that person’s bank account to pay for the gift.

This last year, I’ve done a lot of thinking about a number of  “big picture” issues here in Kenmore and I’ve come to the conclusion that the city “looks” a little better but fundamentally, we have not really improved that much. Some of the improvements made on SR522 have been helpful. I’m not so sure the traffic flow is any better than it was before the make-over. Aesthetically it’s more pleasing. But what so disturbs me is the fact that, at a time when the city leaders should be focusing on how to transform Kenmore from a strip-mallish bottleneck to a 21st Century town, they thought it was prudent to build a new City Hall. Perhaps I’m not thinking about this clearly, but I simply find it hard to believe Kenmore City Government will be more productive or accomplish more because the city staff has a nice new building from which they conduct business. I’d be willing to bet that the money being spent on the new hall could have been appropriated in far better ways.

It’s too bad we can’t bring this “gift” back to the store and get a refund. We never asked Santa for it, he basically shoved it down our collective throat. So, my fellow Kenmore residents, once this new city hall is completed and the staff moves in, let’s see if the permitting process improves, if the City of Kenmore starts to attract new businesses, if the City Council starts broadcasting it’s meetings via the Internet in order to improve public participation, or if we see an improvement in the quality of life here in our fair city.

Ultimately, holding the City Council and staff accountable is our job. Now that they get to reside in a nice new building, let’s see if they can make the rest of Kenmore look as nice.

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A Vision + Alpacas = A Truly Amazing Kenmore Property

ALPACAS IN KENMORE! HOW COOL IS THAT!

Meet Lyle Lovett!

 Back in 2003 I was working with a number of home buyers who were interested in purchasing “waterfront” properties. In the world of Real Estate, waterfront can mean a lot of things. Here in the Seattle area we have Sound-front, lake-front, slew-front, river-front, stream-front and creek-front properties. My clients wanted to find a unique, waterfront property in Kenmore or Kirkland and one particular property kept coming up in our searches: On the 193rd block of 73rd Avenue NE is a Spanish-Style home (with a Sante Fe flavor) that lies on a 4.9 acre lot and is transversed by Swamp Creek.

The Hess Property: An Incredibly Interesting Property!

 As a Realtor® I have found that clients love to look at “interesting” properties but are often intimidated by the scale and scope of land that comes with complex components. This particular property includes the 4700 square foot home, Swamp Creek, a number of outbuildings, 2 bridges (one of which was over 60-years old) and a huge pasture. At that time, the home was listed over $1 million. In the end, my clients found it hard to wrap their heads around what to do with the place and I never had the chance to take a stab at it.

Outbuildings

This bridge replaced the old 60 year-old structure....$$$$$$

Swamp Creek

THEN CAME PAUL AND JANET HESS!

In 2005 my wife and I moved from our long-time residence in Shoreline to Kenmore and that same year Paul and Janet Hess purchased “the one that got away!” As it happens, we currently live a short distance from the Hess property and for the last couple of years we’ve noticed something really interesting down in the pasture: ALPACAS!!!! Every morning, when I take my wife over to the Kenmore Park & Ride, we’ve been noticing a growing population of what we thought were llamas. Finally, I decided to go over and meet the owners and find out if they would let me “meet the critters.” As it turned out, Paul Hess graciously allowed me to come over last Thursday to meet the herd and talk about all of the things he and his wife have done to transform the property into a truly amazing place.

Paul is an wonderfully engaging person and we talked about how he and his wife were able to align some of their personal passions with various facets of the property. We talked about the challenges of Swamp Creek, replacing the original bridge, environmental issues, (some) local politics and, of course, the herd of alpacas. When we went out to meet the animals I was surprised at how approachable they were:

The alpacas were extremely curious and seemed to have no fear of me. Even the mothers and the babies came right up to me. I have to say this was a lot of fun!

Today the Hesses have 18 alpacas and 2 romney sheep. Alpacas produce one of the most valuable fleeces of any animal and clothing made from their fleece is highly sought-after and expensive. Janice has a wonderful workshop where she processes the fleece and produces handmade products.

My visit with Paul Hess was a real treat because I have both a personal and professional connection to this unique property. Personal, because I’ve had the pleasure of meeting a neighbor with the vision and enthusiasm to transform a complicated property into a working compound. Professional, because I tried to sell this property. You know, it is always the obligation of real estate professionals to recognize the “highest and best” use of a piece of property and I can say with confidence that the Hesses are genuine stewards who have made their property a truly magical place.

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Kenmore Home Sales – November 2009 vs November 2008

Overall, November 2009 Was Better Than Last Year

Last November was a dismal time for home sales in Kenmore. As a Realtor®, I didn’t have a lot to be happy about: the market was plunging into a deep recession and there was a lot of anxiety about the economy. If you take a look back on my analysis then, the numbers were pretty grim. As I wrote:

“Kenmore’s home sales moved at a glacial pace in November. Only 12 homes closed between November 1 and November 30. There are 19 pending sales. The current active inventory remains relatively high (171).”

November 2009 Statistics

Home sales are still lethargic here in Kenmore; however, they are up from last year. Where we see some positive movement is in the number of pending sales and the significant drop in the current active inventory. Let’s take a look:

Active Listings

Today the active inventory of single family homes in Kenmore is 31% lower than last November. This is a far more healthy environment for both buyers and sellers. Over the last several years, home owners have been forced to either take their homes off the market or lower their prices to better reflect this challenging market. Now, buyers have fewer choices; however, it’s far easier for them to make offers to sellers who are serious about making a deal.

Pending Sales

Last November there were only 19 pending sales which was a clear indication that December and January were going to be a bust (and they were). This year pending sales have grown 41%: from 19 to 46. This reflects a far healthier market than one year ago. My only concern is that 25% of the pending sales are distressed or bank owned properties which tend to be difficult transactions.

November Sold Homes

Kenmore has not seen a huge growth in the number of sold homes as compared to last November. Certainly, a 30% increase in sales is a good thing, but only 5 more homes were sold than last November (17 this year versus 12 last November). One interesting fact to note is that both this year and last year, the days-on-market for sold homes was 45 days. This means that a well-priced and presented home doesn’t take forever to sell, even in difficult times.

We are now quickly approaching the Christmas Holiday slowdown in the real estate market. It will be interesting to see how this whole year turns out. It was definitely better than 2008.

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Flooding at Wild Cliff Shores – Three Years Later and Still No Answers

How Problems are Solved in the 21st Century

Tom Corrigan, staff writer for the Bothell/Kenmore Reporter has written a follow-up article regarding the ongoing flooding problem occurring at Wild Cliff Shores, a condominium complex in the City of Kenmore. The article entitled Kenmore residents, city dealing with another potential Wild Cliff Shores flooding problem revisits a problem that, it seems, everyone wants to be involved with, but no one wants to take responsibility for. Basically, the situation is this: a Kenmore (city owned) culvert is pouring huge amounts of water into a “salmon” stream next to the condos. The condo owners have put sandbags up next to the stream bank to prevent the waters from flooding their property. The State Fish and Wildlife Department says the owners are in violation of state law (no permit for the sandbags) so they  will force the owners to obtain an expensive study to see if they can even put sand bags up!!!!!!  Some snippets from his article:

• As the subdivision is private property, Kenmore officials said the clean-up was the homeowners’ problem
• He (Kenmore’s City Manager) added that looking at the bigger picture, Kenmore sits at the bottom of the Swamp Creek Watershed, 95 percent of which sits outside the city’s boundaries and is therefore, obviously, out of the city’s control.
• the state has said that while the subdivision needs a permit to put up the sandbags, they also need one to take them down. Both permits cost money and, reportedly, neither is easily obtained.
• He added that lastly, the city intends to mount a sort of Swamp Creek summit, hoping to bring together representatives from all the various jurisdictions involved. This is a regional issue that follows geography, not political boundaries

This is What the Flooding Looks Like!

Flooding at my friends home in 2006

I recently wrote a blog post, Kenmore Homeowners Are Getting Stiffed in which I describe the players involved in this ridiculous situation. As I mentioned, I have a friend who lives in Wild Cliff Shores. We’ve seen the flooding. We’ve heard all about the lame excuses used by the City and the State. Basically the homeowners are being muscled  into paying huge amounts of money to “study” a mythical salmon stream so that the home owners can put sand bags up to protect their property.

Player #6

Kenmore City Manager Frederick Stouder has indicated this issue is “regional” and that it’s going to take more study and collaboration between various jurisdictions to find a solution. Frankly, I’m curious: why has it taken three years for the City of Kenmore and “other jurisdictions” to start studying this problem? The City of Kenmore has known about this and promises to keep the culvert clean, but I have a sense they’ve been putting off the inevitable. They have been very slow in searching for the TRUTH.

I suspect that construction in the neighboring communities above Wild Cliff has caused a serious runoff problem and that someone neglected to factor-in the surface water runoff problems that would be created by covering up more land with new homes. I don’t think it’s coincidental that this flooding started in 2006 after so much building. I’ll be the first one to admit that my argument is anecdotal; however, I would still like to know why it has taken so long for everyone to “wake up!”

But even more disturbing is the notion that putting up sand bags next to a flooding stream would impact salmon even if they do exist in the stream. To force the home owners of Wild Cliff Shores to spend $50,000 to pay for a study to justify putting up sand bags is, simply put, utter balderdash.

Does this Flooding “Protect” Salmon????

I can hardly wait to see if solving this serious situation is going to fall victim to the usual “Northwest Process.” Let’s see if this gets studied to death long enough that my friend’s neighborhood washes away by the time a solution is proposed!!!!

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