It is so exciting and fun to be working for this city and being a part of what’s going on in Kenmore right now. The amazing new mural on 73rd Avenue is a game changer for that stretch of road — I’m told it’s the largest mural in King County. The two artists who created the mural are examples of what we call “citizen co-creators” and have really given their hearts and souls (and an unfathomable amount of hours) into this work of art. The mural is just one example of how Kenmore is on a relentless and incremental upward trajectory. One citizen recently told us, “Kenmore is no longer the eye of the storm, where nothing is going on and so much is going on around it. There’s a lot going on here now.”
The thoughtful “love notes” that our citizens and businesses contribute to Kenmore really propel us on that upward trajectory. Whether that love note is a mural, art on fire hydrants, a neighborhood block party, or volunteering at a park, our citizens and businesses are generating the local “software” to create a sense of community and place. It’s what community engagement expert Peter Kageyama calls “creating value beyond the purely financial.”
If our citizens are providing the software, then the City is doing what it can to send its own love notes to the community by providing the “hardware”—new town square, downtown sidewalks, park amenities, etc. And if the hardware and software can be brought together in the best way possible, then the city can find its soul and discover that sweet spot known as “sense of community” or “sense of place.” Examples of some of the City’s recent and near future “hardware” in pursuit of that sweet spot include the following:
1. New town square and community building in the heart of our downtown (this winter).
2. New downtown sidewalks on 68th Avenue and 181st Street (this fall/winter).
3. Completion of SR 522 improvements between 61st Avenue and 65th Avenue, including new sidewalks and safety improvements, aesthetic improvements, utility undergrounding, and more.
4. Renovation of Moorlands Park next year, including new ballfield, play structure, picnic shelter, restrooms, trails, and more.
5. New pedestrian bridge over the stream in Log Boom Park, connecting the park to the public access wharfs at Harbor Village Marina (this fall).
6. New paved Tolt Trail, connecting 71st Avenue to 68th Avenue (2017).
7. New dock for hand-powered watercraft at Rhododendron Park (2017-2018, depending on state/federal permit approval).
So it’s the city’s job to set the table through good infrastructure and city services to create that key sense of place for our citizens and businesses. Throughout my career, I’ve always believed that cities have more of a role to play than just filling potholes and writing traffic tickets. My mentors have taught me that cities can play a role in bringing the community together and helping our citizens flourish. While doing so will always be a work in progress, we’re on the right track. Through tenacious and relentless effort, we as Kenmore can continue to “create value beyond the purely financial” and make incremental and affirmative steps on that upward trajectory of becoming. Before you know it, we’ll look back and say, “Wow, look how far we’ve come!”
Rob Karlinsey is the city manager for the City of Kenmore.
