Published April 21 2015
Also, transmission line, comp plan amendments, economic development update
The City Council on Monday voted unanimously to approve a revised agreement with Sound Transit that allows the East Link light rail project to move forward and begin construction in early 2016.
This landmark agreement amends a memorandum of understanding signed by the city and Sound Transit in 2011, and is the culmination of several years of collaboration between the two agencies to ensure that East Link is constructed in a way that meets the needs of Bellevue and the region.
The approved MOU eliminated the city's contingent contribution to the downtown light rail tunnel of up to $60 million. Under the terms of the 2011 agreement, the contribution could have been due at completion of construction. The amended agreement also establishes goals and approaches to minimize construction impacts and promote the city's BelRed plan.
Following a public hearing on April 13, councilmembers added amendments to the MOU to address construction concerns heard from the public, including traffic mitigation on Bellevue Way and additional noise protection for the neighborhoods adjacent to the alignment.
The Sound Transit Board is expected to vote on the council-approved agreement at its April 23 meeting. For more information about the East Link light rail project in Bellevue, visit the city's Light Rail web page.
Phantom Lake transmission line
Also on Monday, the council advanced toward a final decision on a conditional use permit that would allow Puget Sound Energy to build a 115-kilovolt transmission line connecting the Lake Hills Substation to the Phantom Lake Substation in East Bellevue.
Councilmembers voted to direct legal staff to prepare an ordinance that approves PSE's permit application as recommended by the city's hearing examiner. The vote was 5-2 with dissents by Councilmembers Robertson and Robinson. A final decision on the project is scheduled for the May 4 council meeting.
The proposed transmission line is intended to improve electrical reliability in the area served by the two substations, creating a redundant line and bringing the neighborhood up to the same level of reliability as other Bellevue neighborhoods.
The 2.89-mile route includes approximately 39 new poles in city right of way along Southeast 16th Street, 148th Avenue and Northeast Eighth Street. The city has imposed a mitigation fee of $856,740 on PSE for impacts caused by the removal of 295 trees. All of the fee must be used for re-landscaping the area impacted by the project.
The transmission line project is separate from the Energize Eastside project, PSE's proposal to build higher-capacity (230-kilovolt) transmission lines from Renton to Redmond, through Bellevue.
More information on the Lake Hills to Phantom Lake project is available.
Annual Comp Plan amendments
Each year, the city takes requests from property owners to amend Bellevue’s Comprehensive Plan. This year, the Planning Commission considered two such proposals and recommended that both be included in a work program for further review by city staff. On Monday, the City Council agreed.
St. Luke's Lutheran Church at 3030 Bellevue Way Northeast has proposed amending the Comp Plan to change a map designation for a 4.3-acre site from Single-Family Medium to Multifamily Medium to allow affordable housing to be built.
The second request is from Public Storage, at 1111 118th Ave. SE, to change the Comp Plan map designation on a 2.9-acre site from Office Limited Business to Light Industrial. The property is used now for warehousing and storage.
Decisions on whether to amend the comp plan to include the proposed changes are anticipated in June. More information is available with the council agenda materials.
Economic development update
Councilmembers received a quarterly update on economic development activities in Bellevue. It included an overview of activity in three key areas: office development, business attraction and retention, and expansion of startups and entrepreneurship.
Presentation highlights included work on a new economic development webpage, meetings with foreign companies at an investment summit, three recent startup events at City Hall, and creation of an Economic Development Action Team to assist businesses with city-related issues.
Board, commission appointments
The council reappointed Anne Howe, Calvin Wang and Aaron Morin to four-year terms on the Environmental Services Commission; Dallas Evans was reappointed to the Park Board. The terms begin June 1.