The March 26, 2025 Planning Commission meeting was cancelled due to a thunderstorm. A community member had planned to speak:
This is the statement I was going to read tonight to the Planning Commission, and send to City Council:
“I am here today to voice my strong objections to the proposed Land Use Code Amendments, that go far above those required by the State.
Staff seem to be ignoring the safeguards put in place to make the density increases reasonable, gradual, and less detrimental to neighborhoods.
In fact, I would go so far as to say the staff is completely ignoring residents.
They are erroneously claiming to have done all of this community outreach, but if you peel down the layers, you will see that they are counting the outreach done during the Comprehensive Plan updates, as being outreach for LUCA, and this is disingenuous at best.
I attended many of the CP sessions, yet do not recall information that said 9 D/ADU’s were going to be allowed on a SF lot; off-street parking requirements would be eliminated; height restrictions would go up to 38 feet; setbacks would be severely reduced; or any of the other egregious elements in this draft code.
Comments on the “general idea” of more housing during the CP plan, do NOT apply to the specifics outlined in the draft LUCA.
I chair the Bellevue Network on Aging, and just this morning we had a 30-minute presentation on the Curb Pricing Study being conducted by the City, which is a relatively minor issue, that is not going to affect our neighborhood.
And what have we had on LUCA? Nothing.
Likewise, I am on the Board of the Newport Hills Community Club, and we, also, have not had a LUCA presentation.
Yet, the Newport Neighborhood Area Plan, which will have only minor impacts to our neighborhood, has been presented twice to our community. The NAP staff have also walked the neighborhood with me; scheduled three Neighborhood Pop-Ups, created an easy to follow webpage on Engaging Bellevue, and produced a huge 58 page Newport Engagement Report.
And what is there on LUCA? A tiny little pamphlet that, again, fails to give any specifics on the devastating impacts, and just says, “LUCA will explore changes to development requirements…” It does NOT list any of the specific harmful impacts to ALL neighborhoods in the ENTIRE CITY!
Staff has been meeting with developers for 2 years, but have not shown the same courtesy to residents. On the City’s website, no fewer than 50 neighborhood associations are listed, yet Kirsten could not even name one that she has made a Draft LUCA presentation to.
The lack of meaningful LUCA outreach is disrespectful to residents, and the claims that there has even been any meaningful outreach at all, is not truthful… and is misleading to both the Council and the Planning Commission.
Considering that LUCA is so complex, and will have such profound negative impacts on neighborhoods, present outreach efforts are grossly inadequate.
The draft LUCA has not involved the very citizens whom the City should be representing, and protecting.
It is an example of government NOT working for the people.
I respectfully request that the LUCA process honor the residents of Bellevue, and involve them in this process, even if it means that LUCA will be delayed.”
You have gone too far above State requirements with LUCA, so you should let the State’s minimum kick-in.
Sincerely,
Anne Rittenhouse
Another community member recently shared this comment with the Planning Commission:
Hello Planning Commission,
I live in the Wilburton neighborhood.
I would like the city to meet, but not exceed, the new regulations for mixed use adopted by Olympia.
I am also very concerned about the lack of required parking for new housing.
Please come take a drive along 129th place NE, heading south from NE 8th up to 129th Ave, then on up Main and out passed International High School to the intersection of SE 7th and Lake Hills connector.
It is already a slalom; there is not extra parking for new housing without parking.
Editor’s Note: If Bellevue’s proposal is approved, roughly half of the segment described would be eligible for bonus density due to the presence of RapidRide B a half mile away on NE 8th. Starting in about 2028, the southern portion of the segment described would also be eligible for higher density due to construction of a new RapidRide K stop located at Lake Hills Connector and SE 7th Pl. There are about a dozen houses in the middle that would not be eligible for the higher density tier, but would still be able to have 4 middle housing units plus 2 ADUs. HB 2321 does not allow us to require parking for middle housing within a half mile walking distance of major transit stops (Section 2, 5.d), and Bellevue’s strike-draft exempts middle housing within a half mile radius from the on-site parking requirement.