The Planning Commission, which I will be starting with, is addressing ADUs, parking requirements, and lot subdivisions - sounds like boring stuff, but all these will have important implications for affordable housing availability in Bellevue, so let's get started!
Conversation
The meeting schedule for the next few months is being described as "packed" - staff is also describing how future sessions will discuss Grand Connection plans, beginning the Comprehensive Plan Amendment process for 2021, and training opportunities for commissioners.
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Rep of the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce speaking in support of the parking LUCA and including areas within 1/2 mile of Light Rail stations. This would reduce the parking requirements for multi-family developments within the shaded areas of frequent transit.
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Ex. Director of Futurewise is supportive of changes in parking code - discussing the improvements in transit & pedestrian infrastructure and advocating for a radius extension from 1/4 mile to 1/2 mile within transit stops, as well as further reductions in parking requirements.
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Community member expressing appreciation of analyzing parking and land use together, advocates for a walkability metric instead of sheer distance instead. Also looking at livability of area - access to shops and businesses.
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Public policy director of Amazon speaking in support of the LUCA and of expanding the radius to 1/2 of transit facilities.
Community member and somebody I recognize from another call as being a racist is asking the commission to consider WFH affecting transit ridership.
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Calls transit ridership "a fad", also notes the "icky things going on with transit, not just in COVID but also going into Seattle"
God damn I'm tired of the Bellevue elitism.
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Moving on to discussions of the ADU LUCA, which would allow ADUs to be built concurrently with the construction of new SFH. Previously, one would need to wait 3 years after permit approval before you could construct one.
...Why was this a thing?
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The entire 148,000-population city of Bellevue saw the registration of *5* ADUs in the year of our Lord 2020.
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Community member speaking in support of the amendments, but cautious of the new units being turned into AirBnBs - suggesting a stipulation be added to set a minimum lease of 3 months, to make sure these units will be used for long-term residents.
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Master Builders Association rep supporting both the LUCA amendments. Notes how the increased ADU availability will be easier for developers to create more middle income housing.
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Aforementioned racist now speaking against DADUs/removing the parking requirements - notes people who have spoken thus far "represent the interests of the developers, not the residents."
I think they represent the interest of people who want our city to be affordable, but kay.
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Resident is fittingly interrupted and informed their time is up right as they begin a rant about neighbors who have parked cars "all over their yard."
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Rep from the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce supportive of the LUCA and removal of the owner-occupancy requirement.
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rep speaking in support of the LUCA and of the Amazon rep's comments. Notes that "our neighbor across the lake" has seen great success with "bold ADU reforms," notes that the ADUs are very often rented out at below market rate.
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Community member speaking in support of the LUCA but against the removal of the owner-occupancy requirement - they appreciate that the ADU LUCA allows homeowners to be part of the affordable housing solution, but removing the owner-occupancy requirement moves away from that.
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Now open to Commissioners for comment. Commissioner Morisseau notes that the intent behind the LUCA is good, but we need to make sure that this actually supports the goal of affordable housing.
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Commissioner deVadoss comes out firing, says this is a "half-baked proposal that will create more troubles later on." Compares it to trickle-down economics + says that Bellevue's spent the last few years "making it easier for builders," calls idea "very poorly thought-through."
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Commissioner Ferris supports the LUCA, notes this may not lead to *all* ADUs being affordable, but that increasing our supply of housing is good. Expresses interest in further studying the implications of removing owner-occupancy + parking requirements.
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Commissioner Brown supports the LUCA "as one step in increasing the supply of affordable housing in Bellevue." Notes that the LUCA has support of developers & housing advocates, and that this proposal encourages "a diversity of community rather than... a survival of the richest."
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Commissioner Malakoutian supports the LUCA and echoes my incredulity at the 3 year delay in ADU approval, which "never made sense to [him]". Says we should note for whom this proposal is creating affordable housing (renters), asking why the restrictions against DADUs exist.
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Staff notes the restriction has been in Bellevue for "some time," believes the intent is to not have separate dwelling units on a Single Family Lot.
Buuuuuuut..... por que?
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Malakoutian notes that even though that's not what's up for discussion right now in this LUCA, "it makes sense" to remove that restriction as well so that you can have even more units on a parcel, for example one detached and one attached.
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Question to my Electeds - who was Council liaison to the Planning Commission when Commissioners deVadoss and Morisseau were appointed?
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Chair Moolgavkar echoes the comments of Brown, Ferris, and Malakoutian in wanting to learn more about impacts of removal of parking & OO requirements. Staff notes that those aren't part of this LUCA, but that the OOR could be looked at as part of comprehensive ADU reform.
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Staff notes that Council direction in the past has been that DADU reform would need to be looked at as part of the subarea planning process on a per-neighborhood basis.
That... does not sound like a process that addresses the affordable housing crisis with the urgency needed.
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Chair puts forward a motion to approve the ADU LUCA and make additional recommendations to Council to remove the owner-occupancy requirement, remove the parking requirement (within 1/2 of frequent transit), and allow detached ADUs.
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5 Commissioners vote aye, Commissioner deVadoss is the lone nay vote, and the motion goes on to Council.
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Moving on now to the LUCA that would allow for lot subdivisions for parcels in MF zones (approximately 17% of the city). Included below are zoning maps of the city and staff's anticipated outcomes.
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Staff notes that this LUCA is not specifically addressed at affordable housing, but rather at increasing the diversity of housing types, including attached multifamily or townhouses.
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I feel like I understand these words individually, but put them all together and my eyes just glaze over.
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Chamber's representative speaking in support of this LUCA as well. Notes that this proposal would allow for the efficient use of land and owner-occupied housing stock. Unit-lot subdivisions "aren't likely to come with the same common ownership liability concerns [as condos]".
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President of the Master Builders' Association supports this LUCA as a provider of "attainable housing."
Note that he's still talking about "attainable" as $800k-900k....
*cries in poor*
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Commissioner Malakoutian is asking how, if this proposal is not increasing density of any parcels, how it can increase the supply of housing. Staff notes that condo-style developments just are not happening at the volume the city's expecting, so land is underutilized.
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This proposal would make it more attractive for developers to get in the game and actually build these units.
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And it appears portions of the meeting were not recorded or uploaded, as the audio abruptly cuts off after the Commissioner's comments.
In the meantime, that was a very informative session. , will the rest of the meeting's audio be made available at a later time?