Published July 15 2015
The City Council on Monday adopted an interest statement and a comment letter on the topic of Sound Transit Phase 3 (ST3). The letter will be sent to the Sound Transit Board.
The East Link project, which will bring light rail to Bellevue in 2023, is part of ST2. The proposed next phase, ST3, covers planning for the next 25 years and would extend the regional transit system. Voters could decide on the ST3 transit improvements and financing package as part of a ballot measure in November 2016.
Councilmembers made final revisions before approving the interest statement and comment letter. Key projects listed in both documents, in order of priority, include:
- Completing light rail to downtown Redmond: Bellevue strongly re-affirms its support for completing East Link light rail to Downtown Redmond, as envisioned in ST2;
- Bus Rapid Transit from SeaTac to Lynnwood: Fully implement bus rapid transit the entire length of I-405 to connect Eastside cities with frequent, reliable transit;
- System access improvements: Expand park-and-ride capacity, improve bike and pedestrian connections and pursue opportunities for transit-oriented development, including affordable housing; and
- Other priorities: Connect Eastside cities with high-capacity transit; implement a highly integrated system; consider using the Eastside Rail Corridor for high-capacity transit; include a 142nd Place Southeast transit corridor to serve Bellevue College; and partner with Eastside cities to implement transit-oriented development around light rail stations.
The comment deadline to the Sound Transit Board is July 15. More information is available via the council agenda materials.
Economic Development surpasses goals
In its quarterly update to the council, the city's Office of Economic Development indicated it is on track to meet or exceed the majority of its 2015 performance measures. The ED group strives to attract national and international businesses to Bellevue and retain and expand companies already located here. It also assists the next generation of businesses to spur job creation, innovation and entrepreneurship.
The Economic Development team has been visiting various companies in Bellevue to help promote a healthy and vibrant business climate by providing consultation to businesses and acting as a liaison between the city and business owners. Issues have included office space options and affordability, parking for employees and customers, and housing for employees.
During these visits, the ED team has learned that local businesses value the skills of the local work force, feel Bellevue is a safe place to work, enjoy the downtown amenities and appreciate the multimodal transportation options.
The Economic Development web pages are being updated with a variety of new components, including an events calendar. It's scheduled to be completed in August. For more information, please review the council agenda materials.
Neighborhood Enhancement Program returns
After a suspension of more than two years due to the recession, the council approved the revitalization of the Neighborhood Enhancement Program, now known as NEP-2.0, with various changes and improvements. The program originally was launched in 1988.
NEP provides residents an opportunity to select small capital projects for city-funded improvements in their neighborhoods. Residents themselves are in the best position to decide, through a democratic process, how to prioritize improvements in their own neighborhoods.
The city entrusts residents to determine the needs of their neighborhood, while allowing them to cultivate distinct neighborhood character, within the citys legal authority and consistent with city plans and policies. Potential projects may include, but are not limited to: art elements, crosswalk improvements, farm stands, trail connections, street lighting, picnic shelters and play structures. Projects are expected to be completed within three to five years after selection.
The program outlines subarea boundaries in alignment with the Comprehensive Plan, identifying 14 neighborhood areas; Downtown and BelRed, as well as Eastgate and Factoria, have been combined. The NEP-2 will serve two communities per year, with a seven-year cycle in sync with the citys seven-year capital projects cycle. The revitalized NEP-2 removed the CIP project cap of $150,000 per project and will allow a project limit to be up to the entire area budget, which is allocated based on the total number of households in each area.
Approximately $100,000 per year (14 percent of the capital budget) will support the NEP-2 administrative components. Council approved $5 million dollars in the 2014-21 capital budget for the Neighborhood Enhancement Program.
The first NEP effort scheduled to launch in fall 2015 will be in the Eastgate/Factoria area, which was next in line for consideration under the original NEP prior to the program's elimination.
For more information on the NEP-2 briefing, please review the council agenda materials.