Published June 11 2017
The city's Planning and Community Development team is scheduled to provide an update on the Downtown Livability Initiative during a "Community Check-in" at City Hall Thursday, June 11. Residents, businesses and other members of the community can review recommendations by the citizen committee regarding proposed changes to the land use code, which is aimed at improving the living and working experience in downtown Bellevue.
The city launched the Downtown Livability Initiative in late 2012. In the spring of 2013 the City Council appointed an advisory committee to examine the land use code for potential revisions.
The committee spent more than a year soliciting public input to learn what is working and where there is room for improvement relative to the code downtown. The committee is recommending about 25 code changes related to topics such as public open spaces, the pedestrian experience, building design and desirable amenities (summary of the recommendations).
Based on directions from the City Council, the Planning Commission is expected to spend the rest of this year reviewing and refining the committee's recommendations and developing updated code language. The commission will in turn transmit a package of its recommendations to the City Council. The council is anticipated to decide on changes to the code sometime next year.
Residents at the Community Check-In will learn the details of the committee's recommendations, as well as how to stay engaged and provide input as the Downtown Livability Initiative moves through the Planning Commission and City Council processes.
The event begins at 5:30 p.m. Open house stations on multiple topics will be followed by a formal staff presentation at 6 p.m. The audience will have the opportunity to ask questions and to re-visit the stations until 7:30 p.m.
For more information, please contact project managers Emil King (eaking@bellevuewa.gov, 425-452-7223), or Patti Wilma, (pwilma@bellevuewa.gov, 425-452-4114).