CM Stokes: re: La Quinta Inn & Silver Cloud in Redmond, says it'd help if leaders could get a better start with people in the neighborhood. Notes the small group that doesn't want supportive housing here "and has no idea what this is".
Conversation
Balducci notes the difficulty in finding the balance between informing neighbors after a decision's been made vs. early in the process when any and all sites are being considered. "I've never seen people be happy, no matter what point on the scale you select."
1
2
Also notes the difficulty in creating the outreach methods before a provider has been selected, because there's nobody really there to be that partner in deciding with the community how the outreach happens.
1
CM Zahn: advocates for more partnerships between County and City to reduce greenhouse gases. Also notes that people hired in permanent supportive housing spaces aren't paid enough to do the work long term, asks what can be done w/ funding to ensure living wage jobs.
1
2
Re: climate, Balducci notes how setting high level priorities for collaborations on climate helps set funding priorities, which eventually helps prioritize grants.
1
1
Council vote to approve agenda includes amendment to remove following item from the consent calendar, which will be discussed at a later meeting. Agenda approved unanimously as amended. Moving onto public testimony.
1
1st speaker who is "EMF sensitive" who is concerned about the AMI water meters pounding ultrasound into her plumbing. Is going to send out a liability warning to Bellevue & Bellevue Utilities.
1
2nd speaker: rep from Eastside Pathways appreciates the Council's support of the Eastside Pathways Backbone, highlights work the organization does in equity & youth engagement.
1
Council are discussing the city's new smart water meter program and whether to include an "opt-out" option to address concerns like those from the speaker earlier. Staff support an opt-out program that sunsets in 5 years, Environmental Services Commission opposed it though.
1
Legit appreciate the council consensus around listening to the science and understanding that EMF is not harmful. Some strong arguments made from multiple CMs in not offering an opt-out program, which passes unanimously.
1
Although better than nothing, a city tool to help buildings comply with mandates already in place because of state action don't seem like a Bellevue action that actually results in a net decrease of GHGs explicitly *because of* Bellevue's action.
1
Highlighting the federal buckets of money that will be made available for EV charging infrastructure.
I still am not 100% convinced that there's the universal understanding in staff/Council that planning & land use are the biggest emissions-reducing tools the city has.
2
2
Emissions data on 2021 will not be available until the update in July. Updated tree canopy data might be available at the next update in the spring.
1
Focusing your emissions reduction strategy in transportation on development in your "growth neighborhoods" and EVs without addressing how the majority of residents outside these areas, by nature of land use planning, are required to use a personal automobile, is not great imo.
1
1
(Yes this is just the 2022 workplan of the five year plan. I heard from city staff at a recent outreach meeting that the Comp Plan is really going to be the main process where environmental stewardship can be incorporated into planning decisions, which is frustrating).
1
Yeah, seems discussions for increased ESI budgeting have been firmly moved into the biennial budget process, which was not my understanding at the meeting in November. I had thought that, in addition to the tree workplan, staff would talk about what funding could look like in Q1.
1
DM Nieuwenhuis: raising concerns around litter in parks and streets, which is not explicitly addressed in the plan. Would support Bellevue specific actions to address litter, since it "hurts [Bellevue's] brand as being a very clean city."
1
Frustrating how local environmental concerns frequently get framed around things like tree canopy & litter when there's just so many more important things that make so much more of a difference in emissions reductions.
Zoning reform. 15-minute cities. Transit. So many options.
1
1
CM Stokes: supports partnerships w/ local orgs to address litter, says it has to do with how people treat the land and relates it to tree cutting that's been going on as lots get redeveloped.
1
CM Zahn mentions how she brought up introducing a Bellevue "Adopt a Street" program at last year's Council retreat. Cites other cities in the region who already have a similar program. Emphasizes moving faster on electrification and waste reductions.
1
Says she "remains concerned" on if the city's on the right trajectory, both in staff power and funding, to meet the goal of 50% GHG reductions by 2030. Would like a better understanding of how each of the 77 stated plan actions actually impacts GHG reductions.
1
Mayor Robinson: says a lot of regulations in place for the Spring District, which recently received LEED certification, were mandated by the city. "Everything that's built in Bellevue from here on should be sustainable. There's no excuse for not putting that front & center."
1
I wish those words lined up with actions, but the city and officials are still:
1) advocating for roadway expansions
2) opposing HB 1782 & diverse housing types that support density
3) trying to make it easier for people drive SOV
...and many more
1
2
Has severe concerns about *tree canopy*, asking for info on the workplan around tree codes and when that would come to Council for approval. Staff note uncertainty given the large amount of things they're working on right now, including comp plan update & Wilburton work.
1
So yeah, it seems that in spite of over a dozen people testifying in support of add'l funding at last year's budget meetings, despite multiple community members testifying over multiple sessions, increased funding for the Environmental Stewardship Initiative will have to wait.
1
Moving onto Ratification of the Countywide Planning Policies, which relate to urban growth in multiple jurisdictions. In order for the policies to be approved, they must be ratified by at least 30% of local & county governments.
1
Conservative Councilmember Robertson is on the County's Growth Management Planning Council and is the new mayor-appointed Council liaison to the Planning Commission. She will have a lot of power and influence during Bellevue's Comp Plan process. :/
1
In addition to setting growth targets for each city, County planning priorities provide guidance for comp plans and define criteria for what composes an urban growth center or a countywide center, which is essentially a smaller UGC.
1
1
Current state of affairs for Bellevue re: jobs to housing ratio.
This *feels* like a pretty liberal use of the term "equitable", considering it doesn't really move the needle too much in terms of the overall housing/jobs imbalance in the city.
2
Countywide centers are a new planning designation in the countywide priorities. Bellevue has applied for, and been approved for, 5 such centers throughout the city. These will need to be accounted for in upcoming local & county planning discussions.
1
Missing middle housing in all areas of the city sure would be a good way to achieve health & equity outcomes while also making sure we hit (and exceed) that 10,000 capacity gap that we currently have, huh.
1
Like, seriously, these priorities all but spell out that we need diverse housing in all areas, not just density concentrated on polluting arterials. in order to meet health & equity outcomes. Supporting these principles, but not wide rezones, is not logically consistent.
1
1
CM Robertson, as the current rep to GMPC, gets to start: supported advancing these policies to County Council so will support ratification tonight.
DM Nieuwenhuis is apparently going to be the *new* rep to GMPC going forward. So. Also not great.
1
She says the right thing, in that "the city will have to be more aggressive with housing", since as it's currently zoned Bellevue would not meet its housing targets. Let's hope that translates into actual good actions.
1
1
CM Stokes: "We have this tremendous opportunity in front of us to move forward in Bellevue." Expressing a hopeful sentiment for progress on housing. Will support ratification. CM Zahn: Also supports ratification. Points out the massive disparity in capacity between jobs & housing
1
1
Staff will need further guidance on how county's approach at looking at housing need based on AMI level will sync with assessing local need.
Expresses support for reevaluating the need for affordable housing in Bellevue, which I believe should come later this year.
1
Mayor notes how, if the city takes the Housing Development Consortium's proposal of 1,000 affordable housing units in Bellevue each year, that between now and 2044, that would be 71% of Bellevue's projected housing unit growth.
1
I would add that that *only* applies if the extra 1000 units are actual new construction and not just affordable housing preservation, but I echo that that *would* be pretty sweet of the city to do.
Again, let's see if that actually happens if/when the AH strategy is modified.
1
1
CM Robertson talking about how she negotiated for more housing in the target, since she said the initial figures (27,000 housing units & 54,000 jobs) would likely have Bellevue "blowing through the jobs number in the next 5 years."
1
So the ratio of 2:1 was maintained, but the numbers were increased to 35,000 & 70,000, respectively.
"These housing targets are going to be a heavy lift, but we're up to the task"
Again, meeting capacity will be less of a heavy lift if we actually allow diverse housing types.
1
1
Show replies