Published July 20 2017
Stretching late into the night on Monday, the City Council held a public hearing on a proposal to modify the Land Use Code (LUC) appeals process. The amendment would remove the council from quasi-judicial appeals in certain land use matters. Councilmembers have repeatedly voiced their frustration with the process, noting how restrictive it can be.
Under current Bellevue regulations, the council adjudicates appeals of Hearing Examiner decisions and recommendations on Process I and III land use matters. When making a final decision, councilmembers must act like judges.
The council extended the public hearing to provide residents with ample time to voice their concerns on the proposed LUC amendment. Later, councilmembers thanked members of the public for sharing their comments and perspectives. No further direction was given at the close of the hearing, although the council may consider the amendment at a future meeting.
Downtown Livability briefing series
Earlier at the study session, the council was given another rundown of proposed updates to the Downtown LUC. The night’s topics focused on changes to floor plate reduction and affordable housing.
Regarding floor plates, the Planning Commission has sought to encourage taller, slender and more distinctive building. The commission proposed a 10 percent floor plate reduction for floors above the current height limit, or “trigger height,” in residential buildings. For nonresidential buildings, the commission explored a floor plate reduction in the range of 10-25 percent for floors above the trigger height. However, the commission deferred to the council for making the final decision.
In line with the recently adopted Affordable Housing Strategy, the commission also recommended 1.0 floor area ratio (FAR) exemption be allowed as an incentive for affordable housing.
More details on the featured topics can be found in the agenda packet. The council will be briefed again on additional Downtown Livability amendments at the Sept. 5 meeting.
Sunny annual survey results
Councilmembers were also given a look at results for the city’s 20th Annual Performance Measures Survey. Conducted earlier this year, the 2017 survey marks the first time outreach was conducted in English and four additional languages: Chinese, Korean, Russian and Spanish. Highlights include:
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Ninety-two percent of Bellevue residents believe the overall quality of city services “exceeds” or “greatly exceeds” their expectations.
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More than nine out of ten residents believe Bellevue has a high quality of life.
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More than 77 percent of residents say the city is headed in the right direction.
Approximately 511 residents responded to the survey via phone or the internet. The full results will be posted on the city’s website in late July.
Retiring Planning Director Dan Stroh honored
The council took a moment earlier in the regular session to recognize outgoing Planning Director Dan Stroh for his contributions to the city. Stroh, who is retiring this month, has worked at the city for 27 years. In reading the commendation, Mayor John Stokes cited a number of memorable achievements including Stroh’s work on Downtown livability, a collaborative relationship with neighborhoods and creating a new vision for the BelRed area.
In addition, Stroh was recognized by Kirkland City Manager Kurt Tripplett, who was on hand representing A Regional Coalition for Housing (ARCH). Triplett spoke about Stroh’s work on affordable housing and presented him with the organization’s “Housing Champion” award.