Published November 10 2015
On Monday the Bellevue City Council held an informal joint workshop with the city's Planning Commission to discuss the upcoming review of downtown's incentive zoning system. The meeting, which was the first of its kind, included a presentation on the foundations of incentive zoning, an overview of Bellevue's current policies and a general discussion regarding what principles should guide the update.
The evening's workshop was another step in the council's plan to implement recommendations made by the Downtown Livability Initiative Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC). The CAC's 2014 public report presented a number of recommendations for updating the Downtown Land Use Code, including incentive zoning. Incentive zoning allows developers to provide amenities in exchange for additional building area and height. Currently, the city offers a list of 23 amenities developers can choose from.
Councilmembers and commissioners noted the discussion was a good first step in updating the incentive zoning system to better deliver on the livability features anticipated for the evolving needs of the city center. The council is expected to formalize principles guiding the update and provide them to the commission and staff in the near future. The last official overhaul of Bellevue's incentive zoning system was nearly 30 years ago.