Kevin Nichols for Issaquah City Council

Time for Fresh Ideas

Issaquah is growing quickly. But new homes are being built on our hillsides instead of in Central Issaquah where they make more sense. This means more traffic and more sprawl. Now is the time to try new ideas and guide growth in the right direction, making our city better for everyone while protecting nature.

How Fast Issaquah Has Grown

Growth is coming to Issaquah. Let's make sure it happens the right way.

Meet Kevin: A Problem Solver with Fresh Ideas

I'm Kevin Nichols. My family chose Issaquah for its charm, good schools, connection to the environment, and sense of community. I'm personally invested in its future; I want my children to be able to afford a home here, just as my parents found their place within our community. I'm committed to creating diverse, attainable housing choices, ensuring Issaquah welcomes all generations.

As a PhD engineer and a proven problem solver, what I will bring to Issaquah is a focus on sparking complex projects from idea to impactful reality, as I have consistently in my professional career.

An example from my professional career:.

"When the pandemic hit, my research team and I were faced with an urgent challenge: adapting our medical diagnostic technology for desperately needed tests. There was no playbook for this. In that high-pressure environment, forging vital relationships with multiple government agencies and diverse partners became essential. Ultimately, we overcame significant hurdles and launched one of the first FDA-approved tests."

"This experience solidified my belief: bold ideas are crucial, but real impact demands tenacious execution, building strong coalitions, and working effectively beyond traditional boundaries to make good things happen."

This is the proactive, results-driven leadership I aim to offer Issaquah. To truly tackle our biggest challenges like traffic and housing, we need tenacious execution and the broad collaborations — including outside our city — to bring them to life.

I'm running to contribute my unique skills and a proactive approach to help us achieve our shared goals for Issaquah.

Kevin's Plan: Bold Ideas That Work

Here are some examples of the practical solutions I'll pursue:

A real Issaquah community bus, representing improved transit options

Fix Traffic Now

Traffic is a mess. Current fixes aren't working. We need better transit options today.

One example: Create compact bus and emergency services lanes using minimal road space to bypass traffic jams. When people from nearby cities have a faster transit option, they'll choose it over driving through Issaquah. Our first responders will also reach emergencies more quickly. It's a win for everyone, and it sets us up perfectly for when light rail arrives.

Issaquah Highlands - example of desirable urban area

Make Housing Affordable

In the past six years, Issaquah built just 54 affordable homes. That's way too few.

An innovative solution: Accelerate the creation of affordable and workforce housing in Central Issaquah by establishing a new model: a community-driven development entity that blends private sector dynamism with a steadfast focus on affordability and local benefit. This way, we ensure affordable housing is built profitably and quickly, profits are reinvested in Issaquah, and our community has a powerful voice in developing the housing we need, precisely where it's wanted.

Community Middle School - example of a compact urban school in Issaquah

Guide Growth

Schools and parks bring communities together. When our city and schools work as partners, we can guide growth to Central Issaquah, not our hillsides, while giving our schools the resources they need.

For example: Work with schools to build the new elementary, middle, and high schools we'll need in the coming decades in Central Issaquah, paired with parks and community spaces everyone can use. This creates neighborhood centers that make Central Issaquah living more attractive, encouraging the kind of growth we want where we want it.

Maintain Essential Services for Smart Growth

Community services are the foundation of all new growth. As Issaquah grows, we need to make sure everyone has the support they need.

We can creatively use state grants to expand mental health crisis response services right away. As an example, HB 2015 grants allow for alternative and mental health crisis response now! We need to make sure we always take advantage of these opportunities when they come.

Smart growth means making sure everyone in Issaquah can thrive.