New Bellevue

Middle Housing discussion

  • Suggested steps for developing our housing policy

    In addition to the storymap created by Bellevue, create maps showing the areas which will be affected by transit service changes in 2025 (East Link Connections) and 2028 (RapidRide K). Show these maps to the public along with the “current” maps, both online and at informational sessions. The East Link Connections routes 220, 240, 245, 250, 270 and ST Express 550 will be providing frequent service according to the city’s definition.

    Create an explainer like Seattle’s to provide education about planning terminology and depict potential middle housing configurations.

    Send out a mailer about the process to every household, including apartment dwellers, as all Bellevue residents could be affected by water shortages, school crowding, traffic congestion, urban heat islands, tree loss, etc.

    Seattle is proposing design standards for pedestrian entrances with weather protection, street-facing windows, and materials that add interest. Have we included these considerations? De-centering pedestrian access encourages developments to be very car-centric, and could reduce residents’ friendly interactions with neighbors. It is likely that these would also have to apply to principal units.

    There are great items in model ordinance about sprinkler requirements, vehicle access (so the frontage is not all garage, see page 18), and not counting the parking area as a court (page 17, E.1.d).

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  • Letter to the Bellevue Leadership

    To the Planning Commission and Staff:

    I appreciated very much the updated March 20th strike-draft, in which the proposed nine middle housing units has been taken out. Thank you for listening to the commissioners and the public who believe nine units would be too many for Bellevue.

    We have an ambitious goal for middle housing in our state. We are being asked to implement four units over most of the city, with as many as six in very small areas that are a five minute walk from Link and RapidRide bus lines where permanent infrastructure has been built.

    In other cities and regions we have seen examples of middle housing policies for duplexes and triplexes (Minneapolis) and up to fourplexes (Portland, Sacramento, Vermont, and Salt Lake City). Minneapolis was recently in the news because rents there fell while they were rising in the rest of the country.

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  • How far might people walk to reach transit?

    Update: Clarification was provided in the agenda memo for the April 23rd Planning Commission meeting (see page 4), showing that the walking distance will be used instead of the radius. There are still some details which might need clarification, as laid out in the “Three Requests for the Planning Commission” post.

    Since Bellevue is proposing to allow up to 9 middle +2 ADUs or a co-housing/SRO building within a 0.5 mile radius of RapidRide and Link, here are some examples of what the actual walking distance might be:

    This location is 0.9 miles from an existing RapidRide B stop.

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  • Spatial differences between HB 1110 and Bellevue’s proposal

    The current areas in which bonus density is being proposed for Bellevue are:

    • Within 1/4 mile of Neighborhood Centers and Regional Growth Centers
    • Within 1/4 mile radius of frequent bus service stops
    • Within 1/2 mile radius of “Major Transit” like RapidRide and East Link

    Based on the state law, the only place with bonus density would be:

    • Within 1/4 mile walking distance of Major Transit

    These are moving targets, because there will be new “Frequent” bus lines as part of the East Link Connections project. Based on the Bellevue Middle Housing LUCA draft definition of frequent bus service (“A stop that receives transit service at least four times per hour for twelve or more hours per day.”), there will be frequent service on the 220, 240, 245, 250, 270  plus Sound Transit Express 550, starting sometime this year. The maps shown by the city in the public meetings about middle housing show only the bus lines that are providing frequent service now.

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  • How soon is Middle Housing Coming to Bellevue?

    Timeline: 

    2023: HB 1110 passes the State Legislature 

    Jan-Feb 2025 Survey asking if you want more housing within 1 mile of transit, etc. 

    Feb 12th, 2025: Potential for 9 units per lot buried in Planning Commission (PC) meeting notes  

    Feb 24th, 2025: Draft with 4, 6, or 9 units across a larger swath of Bellevue is released, clarification that ADUs are allowed *in addition* to that 

    Feb-March Outreach meetings

    March 12th PC Meeting study session

    April 9th PC Meeting public hearing

    April 23rd PC extra meeting (if more time needed)

    April-May City Council will vote to approve 

    June 2025: Deadline for implementation in Bellevue

    Each Planning Commission meeting is an opportunity to be heard, though you usually have to register right at noon that day if you want a chance to speak.

    Every City Council meeting also offers the community an opportunity to be heard, whether it is related to the agenda or not, and the City Council will make the final decision about this plan.

    It is also helpful to email them if you have an opinion!

  • Middle Housing changes for Bellevue

    Bellevue may go far beyond the requirement in HB 1110 and 1337

    HB 1110 requires that Bellevue make rules to allow 4-6 units on each single family lot in Bellevue 

    HB 1337 allows each lot to have up to two ADUs (which count toward that total) 

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