Originally published Saturday, March 1, 1997

By MARK HIGGINS
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

Although downtown gets the lion's share of attention, Kirkland has a dozen other residential and commercial neighborhoods, including Bridle Trails, where horses are the preferred mode of travel.

Debbie Eddy, Kirkland's energetic mayor, lives in Bridle Trails with her husband, kids and their 28-year-old quarter horse. Eddy is one of the movers behind a recent proposal to create an equestrian "overlay," which would preserve lots at one acre, among other things.

Bridle Trails' raison d'etre is the local state park, a 482-acre wooded preserve located within earshot of the state Route 520/Interstate 405 interchange.

The park "is why Bridle Trails is a horsy neighborhood," explains ranger Mary Welborn, who rides one of two horses -- Alex and Flair -- while on patrol.

A recent survey found that 400 horses live within a mile of the park, Welborn says. "Most people live here because they want horses and don't want to live in Eastern Washington," Welborn says.

At the opposite end of town is Totem Lake, Kirkland's concrete moneymaker. The area, anchored by a mall, generated $410 million in wholesale and retail sales in 1993. The neighborhood's tiny namesake lake is all but lost in a sea of development.

Totem Lake is a patchwork of commerce and industry. No one, not even the mayor, can say exactly what the city wants for the future of Totem Lake. An economic study is under way.

As one top city official puts it, the mall itself is"old-fashioned. The market has moved on."

But Linda Schallenberger, mall manager, says it continues to attract businesses such as Trader Joe's, Old Country Buffet and Musician's Friend. As for redeveloping it into something like the reinvigorated University Village, Schallenberger says "it would take millions and millions of dollars and is not something I see in our future."

Lacking any unifying theme, Totem Lake's future seems to be in the hands of its residents and property owners. And that is OK with them. Kirkland residents are not shy about voicing their wants and desires.

Continued:

• Transformation from hamlet to urban village is under way
• Area has enhanced its small-town appeal
• 'Condo' is key word for city's future
• Blurring the lines between art and commerce
• Citizens are active in the community