Summary

King County’s Solid Waste Division invites the public to comment on the revised scope of its environmental impact statement for the Northeast Recycling and Transfer Station Project after removing the Houghton Park and Ride in Kirkland as a potential candidate site. The comment period runs from March 20 to April 10.

Story

After receiving new information about planned development on a portion of the Houghton Park and Ride property in Kirkland, King County’s Solid Waste Division will remove the site as a candidate for further analysis in an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Northeast Recycling and Transfer Station Project that will expand recycling services and reduce the amount of garbage going to the landfill. The EIS is set for publication this fall.

The Northeast Recycling and Transfer Station is scheduled to begin operating in 2029 to replace the aging Houghton Transfer Station in Kirkland, which has been in continuous operation since the mid-1960s and can no longer keep up with service demand and population growth. The new station will feature green design, improved stormwater controls, advanced odor control, and compaction equipment to reduce truck trips.

The Washington State Department of Transportation, which owns the Houghton Park and Ride, plans infrastructure improvements that will require about 25% of the north portion of the property. The remaining area WSDOT identified for surplus will be too small to adequately accommodate a transfer station with the levels of service needed to achieve environmental objectives, so it is no longer a feasible alternative.

After screening more than 70,000 parcels and conducting an 18-month siting process, the Solid Waste Division will now focus on evaluating the two remaining site alternatives, a 12.9-acre site in the 15000 block of Woodinville-Redmond Rd. NE in Woodinville and the current Houghton Transfer Station Property in Kirkland, as well as a no-action alternative in the EIS.

Comments on the revised scope of the EIS will be accepted by email at northeast@kingcounty.gov or through an online open house at kingcounty.gov/northeast. Mail or hand-deliver written comments to King County Solid Waste Division Project Manager Mary O’Hara at 201 S. Jackson St., Suite 600, Seattle, WA, 98104.

The draft EIS is scheduled for publication this fall and will include opportunities for review and comment on the analysis of the site alternatives. There will also be opportunities to shape decisions around the design and mitigation after a site is selected in 2025.

Wherever it is sited, the new station will be built to the latest environmental standards and designed to complement the surrounding community. It will also play an important role in supporting regional goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the amount of materials buried at the Cedar Hills Regional Landfill in Maple Valley.

For questions, please visit the project website or email the project team at northeast@kingcounty.gov.

Relevant links

• Northeast Recycling and Transfer Station Project
• King County's Re+ initiative

For more information, contact:

Annie-Kolb-Nelson, Solid Waste Division, 206-477-5373