Diversity of Employment
We are stronger as a community through diversity. Diversity encompasses more than racial and ethnic diversity. It includes socio-economic diversity. That diversity is critical to healthy communities.
Our region was built on working class jobs. Boeing is top of mind to most as a foundational employer in the Metro area. For Kirkland, our working class heritage includes shipyards and wool mills. While I am not suggesting that we go back to the glory days of the Alaska gold rush, I do feel strongly that we need to strongly consider maintaining and fostering diversity of our employment base through planning and zoning and city policy. Labor is the foundation of what has built our community and provides the services we all rely on for our everyday needs. Partnering with the labor community is critical to the long-term health of our community.
We are blessed by an influx in new high paying jobs. That is fantastic, and we should embrace those jobs. At the same time, we cannot embrace them at the sake of losing working class jobs. For every warehouse we tear down for an office park, we lose manufacturing jobs forever. They cannot come back into another zone both through planning restrictions as well as due to rent pressures. That goes for every existing business and trade that knows the tight pressures of labor, rent and material cost and how even one of those shifting can make a business fail.
Interbay is successfully navigating a shift to true mixed use developments, work lofts, and a focus on workforce housing that Kirkland should be considering. There are other great examples across the country where comprehensive zoning balances use types within zones to allow for up-zoning without financially killing the underlying zone.
The vibrancy of Kirkland relies on a mix of employment. Our ability to enjoy our community means we need people involved in the building trades, mechanics, artists, pet groomers, and dentists to work and live in our community.
Our region was built on working class jobs. Boeing is top of mind to most as a foundational employer in the Metro area. For Kirkland, our working class heritage includes shipyards and wool mills. While I am not suggesting that we go back to the glory days of the Alaska gold rush, I do feel strongly that we need to strongly consider maintaining and fostering diversity of our employment base through planning and zoning and city policy. Labor is the foundation of what has built our community and provides the services we all rely on for our everyday needs. Partnering with the labor community is critical to the long-term health of our community.
We are blessed by an influx in new high paying jobs. That is fantastic, and we should embrace those jobs. At the same time, we cannot embrace them at the sake of losing working class jobs. For every warehouse we tear down for an office park, we lose manufacturing jobs forever. They cannot come back into another zone both through planning restrictions as well as due to rent pressures. That goes for every existing business and trade that knows the tight pressures of labor, rent and material cost and how even one of those shifting can make a business fail.
Interbay is successfully navigating a shift to true mixed use developments, work lofts, and a focus on workforce housing that Kirkland should be considering. There are other great examples across the country where comprehensive zoning balances use types within zones to allow for up-zoning without financially killing the underlying zone.
The vibrancy of Kirkland relies on a mix of employment. Our ability to enjoy our community means we need people involved in the building trades, mechanics, artists, pet groomers, and dentists to work and live in our community.