Published June 16 2023
Plus, federal priorities, Vision Zero progress, Planning Commission appointment and more
Note: The next Bellevue City Council meeting will be on June 26, due to the Juneteenth holiday.
Following a recommendation from the Planning Commission, the City Council on Monday directed staff to prepare an ordinance that would make it easier to build accessory dwelling units in Bellevue.
Part of “Next Right Work” actions the council is taking to support construction of more housing, including more affordable housing in Bellevue, the proposed code changes would:
- remove the owner occupancy requirement for ADUs
- update size limits to allow for family-sized ADUs
- ease parking requirements
- eliminate certain permit procedures, including registration with the city
Councilmembers voted unanimously to direct staff to prepare the ordinance for final action at a future meeting.
Transportation Benefit District to fund capital improvements?
Also at Monday’s meeting, the council learned about the possible formation of a Transportation Benefit District to fund maintenance of transportation infrastructure and ongoing capital programs throughout the city. The Transportation Department’s maintenance budget was cut by $1.7 million in 2021 and $1.8 million in 2022 to help balance the city’s budget after the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic; these cuts continued into fiscal year 2023-2024 due to other competing needs throughout the city.
Transportation Benefit Districts were established by state law in 2005 to provide funding for transportation improvements, and there are 18 such districts in King County. The district has independent taxing authority, with several options for collecting revenue, including a sales tax and an annual vehicle tab fee. The council directed staff to continue the process toward forming a Transportation Benefit District, which will include public hearings with opportunities for residents to provide comments.
Council adopts federal priorities
In other business, the council unanimously adopted a list of federal legislative priorities centered around seven strategic target areas, allowing the city to provide a clear account to congressional delegations, federal agencies and other stakeholders of what Bellevue prioritizes and for what it will support in the coming year.
The full presentation and list of the priorities can be found in the meeting materials.
Progress on Vision Zero efforts
Staff from the Transportation Department reported progress in 2022 on the city’s Vision Zero initiative, which aims to eliminate traffic deaths and serious-injury collisions on city streets by 2030. Last year the city added 2.1 miles of new facilities for people walking and 3.2 miles of bike lanes and other facilities for people bicycling in Bellevue.
The 2022 Vision Zero action plan had 19 actions spanning multiple departments. Completed items included three road safety assessments near schools in different neighborhoods and implementation of leading pedestrian intervals — where people walking across the street are given the walk sign before adjacent drivers are given a green light.
The 2023 action plan builds on work started in 2022. Key actions include finalizing a speed management plan, engaging with the community on Bike Bellevue and hosting a day of remembrance for road collision victims in November to honor the 231 people involved in fatal or serious injury crashes in Bellevue over the past decade.
The council memo has more details.
Planning Commission Appointment
The council appointed Negin Khanloo to the Planning Commission to serve a term expiring on May 31, 2027. Khanloo previously served on the Environmental Services Commission.
Proclamations for Juneteenth and elder abuse awareness
The council proclaimed June 19, 2023, as Juneteenth in Bellevue, recognizing its historical importance and calling on our community to join in embracing a commitment to continued reflection and action to advance equity, inclusion, and justice. The Council also proclaimed June 15, 2023, as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day in Bellevue and urged everyone to commit to building safer communities for our aging residents.