Published March 7 2025
Plus, naming process for new park, update from county and Women’s History Month
The City Council received a progress update on Bellevue’s Safe Parking Pilot Program at Tuesday’s council meeting and unanimously agreed to draft a resolution for a future meeting that would extend the program through 2026.
The program provides parking for up to 20 vehicles that serve as residences, primarily for families with children living in the Bellevue area. In its first year, the program hosted 69 children and 106 adults, spread across 53 families. Thus far, 30 of these families have obtained stable housing.
The program, which began as a pilot in February 2024, is managed by Bellevue-based nonprofit 4 Tomorrow. The Safe Parking program is operated on a city-owned property in the Wilburton area, which includes a secure parking lot with assigned spaces and a building with daytime access to key services and facilities.
While on site, participants receive assistance in finding housing and overcoming any related barriers. The on-site day center provides access to showers, washers and dryers, a working kitchen and several indoor spaces for congregating, studying or resting. The program provides additional services during severe weather to ensure families with children are not forced to sleep in their vehicles on especially cold or hot days.
Further details on the update are available in the meeting materials.
Naming process initiated for new city park at Main Street
In other business, the council voted to initiate a naming process for a new city park at the corner of Main Street and 112th Avenue Southeast, on top of the Sound Transit light rail tunnel portal.
In late 2024, Sound Transit transferred ownership of the park to the city. The park naming process will be consistent with the council’s policy for naming park and recreation facilities. This includes conducting community outreach to collect name suggestions from the public. The Parks & Community Services Board will review the names and present a recommendation to the council for its consideration.
More details about the park history and naming process can be found in the meeting materials.
Update from County Councilmember Dunn
King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn presented the State of the County, highlighting results from a voter survey that identified public safety, property taxes and homelessness as top concerns.
He provided an overview of key actions taken in 2024 and discussed the county’s proposed budget, including a look at historical budget levels and expenditures to illustrate changes in spending over time. Dunn noted that the budget includes significant cuts and tax increases in response to financial challenges.
More details are available in the meeting materials and the full presentation and discussion is available on video replay through Bellevue Television.
Women’s History Month proclamation
The council also proclaimed March 2025 as Women’s History Month. The proclamation honors and recognizes women’s achievements and contributions, helping to preserve the stories, challenges, and victories of our society and ensure women remain a source of inspiration and wisdom for generations to come.