Proposed Kirkland, Wa Annexation

Proposed Kirkland Annexation - Business Owners, Beware

As a business owner in the Proposed Annexation Area (PPA), I am concerned and definitely against annexation to Kirkland. Give me Bothell or Kenmore, they are small business friendly, Kirkland is not.

Are you aware that Kirkland has an Employee Head Tax based number of employees and annual gross revenues? It will cost my business $325 a year, in spite of the fact that we have yet to break even. A startup business cannot afford the additional tax. Bothell also has an Employee Head Tax, but at a more reasonable rate and not based on gross revenues and would cost my business $87 a year, not an outrageous amount. Kenmore does not have a business license for most businesses.

What does this additional cost buy my business? Nothing that I am not already getting from the county! I also have a home based business with 1 employee. This will cost me another $100 per year. But I do not have traffic coming in and out, nor do I have many deliveries. Small Home Based Business will be the most impacted. Some will not even be able to continue operation. Read Kirkland’s guidelines carefully and do not think that you can sneak by. They get information from the state, so if you have a WA State Business License, you will be required to get a Kirkland Business License. I have not included the guidelines for Bed And Breakfast, which have additional restrictions.

From the City of Kirkland Web Site:

Fee Schedule:
Base Fee: All businesses operating in Kirkland are subject to a base fee of $100

# Employees	Annual Gross Receipts
or FTE’s	$100,000 or more	$50,000 - $99,999	$2,000 - $49,999	Less than $2,000
1	$125.00	$75.00	$0.00	$0.00
2-5	$225.00	$150.00	$0.00	$0.00
6-20	$750.00	$500.00	$0.00	$0.00
21-100	$1,500.00	$1,000.00	$0.00	$0.00
100+	$2,500.00	$2,000.00	$0.00	$0.00

Operating a Business from a private residence

A City of Kirkland Business License is required if you are operating a business from your home located within the city limits. You may also need a home occupation permit.

1. The use of my home as a residence will remain the primary use.

2. My home occupation will be carried on by residents of the dwelling unit and does not involve more than two other business participants visiting the dwelling unit (or, for properties that contain an accessory dwelling unit, visiting the property) per day. “Other business participants” may include non-family employees and independent contractors.

3. My home occupation will have no outside storage, including equipment stored on vehicles.

4. My home occupation will require no alteration to the interior or exterior of the dwelling that changes its residential character.

5. My home occupation will not involve activities, including but not limited to the use of heavy equipment, power tools, power sources, hazardous materials, or other equipment or materials, that result in noise, vibration, smoke, dust, odors, heat, traffic, parking or other conditions that exceed, in duration or intensity, such conditions normally produced by a residential use.

6. My home occupation will have, in addition to daily mail service, no more than a combined total of three commercial and courier pick-ups and deliveries at the dwelling unit (or, for properties that contain an accessory dwelling unit, the property) per day, and no more than ten such pick-ups and deliveries per week. Said pick-ups and deliveries will only occur between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.

7. My home occupation will occupy no more than 500 square feet of floor area, including any space in an accessory structure.

8. My home occupation will include no more than six clients/customers per day and no more than two clients/customers at any time visiting the dwelling unit (or, for properties that contain an accessory dwelling unit, visiting the property) for goods or services. A family arriving in a single vehicle will be considered one client. Client/customer visits to a home occupation will be between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. (not applicable to bed and breakfast house).

9. My home occupation will operate no more than one vehicle, van, truck or similar vehicle.

The vehicle will not exceed any of the following:
    a. A gross vehicle weight of 10,000 pounds;
    b. A height of nine feet; and/or;
    c. A length of 22 feet.
    d. The measurement of vehicle height and length will include bumpers and any other elements that are required by federal or state law for the operation of the vehicle on public roads.

10. My home occupation will have no exterior indication other than one building-mounted, nonilluminated sign with a maximum size of two square feet.

11. If I will operate a bed and breakfast house, it will comply with the following additional conditions in addition to the above:
    a. It will be operated by the owner of the of the dwelling in which it is located and it will be the primary residence of the owner/operator;
    b. There will be a maximum of two guest rooms;
    c. Guests will stay a maximum of 30 days;
    d. Food service will be limited to serving overnight guests of the establishment. Individual rooms will not be equipped with cooking facilities;
    e. I may be required to provide up to one parking stall per guest room. I will demonstrate the parking provided will be adequate based on the following criteria:
        i. the number of guest rooms;
        ii. The number of permanent residents of the dwelling proposed for the bed and breakfast;
        iii. The number of parking stalls that can be accommodated in a garage or driveway; and
        iv. The number of legal on-street parking stalls immediately adjacent to the bed and breakfast;
    f. Concentrations of Bed and Breakfast Houses – If my bed and breakfast house is proposed within 500 feet of another bed and breakfast house, I will demonstrate that the neighborhood will not be adversely affected by the concentration.