Published September 11 2015
Also, recognizing National Recovery Month and Old Bellevue parking
On Tuesday the City Council was presented with a generous $193,000 check from the Bellevue Youth Theatre Foundation. The donation is part of the foundation's commitment to the new BYT facility, which opened at Crossroads International Park earlier this year. Foundation President David Ruehr and Vice President Katherine Jordan were on hand, flanked by students, to present the donation and thank the city for its ongoing support of the popular community program.
BYT is a program jointly sponsored by the city of Bellevue and Bellevue Public Schools. It offers young people of all ages and backgrounds an opportunity to participate in quality live audience productions. The new facility is partially funded by the voter-approved 2008 Parks & Natural Areas Levy.
September is National Recovery Month
Also, the council proclaimed September "National Recovery Month" to raise awareness regarding mental and substance abuse issues. Andrea Nalani LaFazia-Geraghty with the King County Department of Community and Human Services spoke about the need for encouraging relatives and friends to seek treatment.
Addiction and recovery continues to be a significant issue throughout the country. In Washington, heroin use and related deaths have increased in the past decade, especially among people younger than 30. Nationwide, in 2013 alone, 2.5 million people aged 12 or older received substance use treatment at a specialty facility.
For more information visit RecoveryMonth.gov.
Old Bellevue Land Use Code Amendment
Finally, the council heard public testimony and was briefed by city staff on two alternative amendments that would modify parking regulations in downtown Old Bellevue. The two amendments under consideration seek to rectify the inconsistent application of a code requirement on parking for businesses.
Due to the potential effects of the amendments, councilmembers agreed to discuss the issue at next week's meeting in the context of the code amendment work program. The council will decide at that time to either take action or to forward the parking issue to the Planning Commission for review.