Tonight's Bellevue City Council meeting will feature a few different things, but perhaps most importantly, the Comprehensive Plan Update process *officially* begins this evening, with Council being briefed on the outreach and engagement plan.
Conversation
For those that don't know, the Comp Plan is a *super* important planning document that is required for many Washington cities under the Growth Management Act (GMA). Effectively, it's the document that sets guidelines for how the city will grow over the next 20 years.
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Will all of our growth be concentrated in Wilburton, BelRed, & Downtown, leaving our Single Family neighborhoods untouched? Or will growth be allowed in some form across all neighborhoods, allowing for housing diversity? The Comp Plan's sets the vision from which policy follows.
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The outreach process began this past week with the community meeting that I advertised on my feed. I'm happy to report that there were a *lot* of supportive voices for environmental stewardship, equity, bike lanes, and affordability!
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Bellevue residents: Comp Plan process starts *tonight*!
This process is super important b/c it decides how Bellevue grows.
Can you show up tonight to drown out the NIMBY voices that have had a say in our housing policy for far too long? eventbrite.com/e/neighborhood
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Like a lot of city outreach, the earlier people get involved in the process, the better. That's because the early stage of outreach will really be setting the "vision of the vision", as it were, and later stages will create concrete proposals based upon that early feedback.
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Therefore, as time goes on, the plan will be more and more set, with alternatives being debated and decided on. To really set the stage for what those alternatives can be, it's important to get involved now. I'll be sharing opportunities and outreach sessions as they pop up.
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City staff have noted that they want to "include policies that address the legacy of discrimination." In the public outreach session, staff said that would include housing policy. I'm curious how this will play out in practice, given at least 3 CMs want to preserve SF zoning.
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Hesitancy against allowing housing diversity in all neighborhoods, even basic improvements like more backyard cottages & laxer ADU regs, perpetuates an institution that has its roots in systemic racism. Its preservation furthers inequity in housing policy.
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Renters & young people: city staff have also said they're going to prioritize us in outreach more so than they have in the past.
Please get your friends involved in this, especially early on when it's about the general vision and not specific policy.
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Other work today will involve Council initiating staff work on amending the noise control code to allow for more smaller, privately-initiated events in the city.
Current regulations are frankly draconian. Private events w/ loud sounds can't happen on Sundays or after 5 pm.
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So, yeah, becoming an actual city with culture, vibrancy, and life will require this being changed, lol. Staff will work on a three-pronged outreach approach on this over the next couple of months and come back with code amendments.
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Council start the meeting by proclaiming support for the Ukrainian community and reading a commendation for Mary Kate Berens, Deputy City Manager, who is leaving the city after 21 years as a staff member to become the Deputy City Manager for Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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First speaker is a rep from PACE speaking in support of the noise control work. Speaking about work the org did w/ the city to support buskers in the city over an event last year, but note how it's difficult how performances after 5 pm or on holidays aren't allowed.
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Owner of Evolution Studio in BelRed arts district is next speaker, also supports noise ordinance changes. Speaks to how code changes will allow buskers, music festivals, and events to make Bellevue more vibrant.
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Resident in Woodridge supportive of noise control amendments and asks city to go further: says specifically amplified sound shouldn't be targeted, and that creative Bellevue residents need public places to gather and share artistry "as participants, not consumers".
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Only update from City Manager this evening is on the emergency procurement of the Somerset property that suffered the landslide to allow for safe demolition of the site. 41st LD rep & nearby resident My-Linh Thai, at her recent town hall, said she still wasn't able to return home
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Regional Issues update to Council is starting with state legislative priorities and the Move Ahead Washington package. Only three of the city's seven transpo priorites are being funded: Mountains to Sound trail, Eastrail, and I-405/SR 167.
So no unnecessary I-405 on ramp (phew)
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City staff giving the update on all the things that HB 1660 would do and trying to paint them as a bad thing, lol.
BuT mY lOcAl CoNtRoL
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Feels a bit disingenuous from city staff to paint HB 1782 & HB 1660 as wanting to increase affordable housing. It's not just about affordable housing. We need more housing, *period*. So while we're at it, why don't we just give people options in the types of spaces they can live.
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Yes it's different staff, but you can't in the same meeting talk about how you want to write policies that reduce historical inequities and then complain about efforts to eliminate SF zoning. Those two ideas are fundamentally not compatible.
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Council's now receiving its quarterly cultural and economic development update. Not sure how much I'll post about this, but if you want to read the item's summary from staff, feel free to check it out here: bellevue.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&
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Staff describing 2022 as "the year of tourism", noting that business travel has been slow to return this year, but that they feel they've got policies and plans in place to help support the tourism industry as the pandemic subsides.
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Work is continuing on the BelRed Arts District. City is launching a market study to assess housing needs for artists and creative businesses.
Also introducing a mural pilot program(!) to create more murals. If it's successful, it would expand citywide.
That's objectively cool.
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"We really want to retain and expand our [car] dealerships... We're seeing pressures on our auto services... We want to support those ancillary services."
Forgive me for not being sympathetic to the retention of the Porsche dealership immediately by a light rail station.
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Changes to noise control code are being targeted for before summer so the city can take advantage of the summer tourism season and activate public spaces.
Legit good, happy to see that work being done (relatively) quickly.
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A summary of upcoming work. The retail study will audit the current retail offerings and needs in the City. Tourism ILP is about an agreement to levy a fee to hotel stays that then can go to help lodging businesses in the city.
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This discussion will be lead by the Executive Director of Visit Bellevue, which is the city's tourism board.
A TPA would assess a fee (staff mentions $6) on lodging stays, funds that can then be used to provide services that help advance the lodging businesses in the area.
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DM Nieuwenhuis asks about "stresses on auto services". Staff confirms that many sites are looking at relocating, as lots of their sites are being looked at for mixed use & vertical developments (good). Want to ensure there's appropriate space for dealers to stay in city (bleh).
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Like, yay tax revenue, yes ultimately it's a good thing, but boo cars. Yes, hot take for me, I know.
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For the Rock n' Roll marathon coming this summer, staff is estimating 8000 registered participants and about $5 million in associated economic impact. Also legit good.
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CM Barksdale: "I'm excited for that, you called it 'vibrance', I call it 'nightlife'".
Asks how retail study will engage mom & pop shops to understand their challenges, in particular mom & pop shops that are underrepresented in Bellevue.
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Staff note that Council & community want to see more types of the businesses that Barksdale is describing open in Bellevue, so staff will be working to particularly understand those needs. Staff will also engage w/ biz owners not in Bellevue, b/c they may want to be but can't.
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