Published January 23 2015
Also, work on Energize Eastside
The regulations guiding development and land use in downtown Bellevue date back to 1981. On Tuesday, the City Council received recommendations from a citizen advisory committee (CAC) on how to update the downtown land use code.
The council-appointed CAC began work on the Downtown Livability Initiative in May 2013, and completed its charge last June. Working off a set of principles established by the council, the CAC's focus was to evaluate potential refinements to the land use code that would better implement the vision of downtown as a viable, livable and memorable space.
The Downtown Livability process included some 60 meetings attended by more than 800 people, including 13 formal meetings of the CAC. The full set of recommendations from the CAC is included in a 74-page report, addressing topics such as public open space, the pedestrian corridor, design guidelines, an amenity incentive system, light rail station area planning, building height and form, and downtown parking.
Councilmembers requested additional time to review the CAC's recommendations at an upcoming meeting. The council will then provide direction on the next steps for review and refinement of the CAC's work, which will include significant opportunities for public engagement. More information, including the final report, is available online.
Energize Eastside review continues
Also on Tuesday the council continued its engagement on Energize Eastside, Puget Sound Energy's proposed project to locate new, higher-capacity (230 kilovolt) electrical transmission lines in Bellevue and the Eastside. Councilmembers reviewed the process used to select consultant USE Inc. to independently analyze the need for the project.
In a separate action, but one also related to the Energize Eastside project, the council approved a contract for up to $1.4 million with Environmental Science Associates, a consultant, to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the project. Bellevue is the lead agency for five Eastside cities that will be affected by Energize Eastside. Puget Sound Energy will pay for the EIS through a cost recovery agreement with the city. Work on a draft document is expected to begin this spring; a final EIS is projected to take approximately two years.