I'm wondering if the time for R-1 and R-1.8 zoning is over in Bellevue
...But or maybe we just limit it to the Overlake farm.
That is the largest undeveloped piece of property in the City ..
– Council Member Jennifer Robertson at the July 17 Bellevue Council meeting.
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Bellevue's Bridle Trails Neighborhood, looking South from the viewpoint of above the gulf course. | |
@ Bellevue City Council Today | |
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Learn Comp Plan Current Focus | |
Watch/Read from Bellevue City Council July 17
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Is Growth & Density in Bridle Trails important to you? | |
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Today, the Bellevue City Council is making a decision whether to study an up-zone for 40 acres zoned R-1 in Bridle Trails. The owners of the property have requested to change the zoning on 9269 140th Ave NE to R-Medium and 9247 and 9270 140th Ave NE to R-Medium. If approved, this would increase the density in this area by the Bellevue Municipal Golf Course. Because of the impact of State Bills such as HB 1110, all Residential Zoning will be changed in the 2044 Comprehensive Plan.
If you are concerned with growth in Bellevue and Bridle Trails, here’s what you can do:-----------------------------------
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Speak at Public Comment at Council meeting in person or virtually: AGENDA Speakers may sign-up beginning at 5:00 p.m. on the date of the Council meeting. You may sign-up in-person or online using this link: https://bellevuewa.gov/council-oral-comms Speakers are allowed up to three minutes to speak, and a maximum of three persons are permitted to speak to each side of any one topic. It can’t hurt to have extra people signed up. Use link in the agenda to partipate virtually. -------------------------------------
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Send Email to Council and rhe Planning Commission ----------------------------Email Council@bellevuewa.gov; Planningcommission@bellevuewa.gov----------Please CC Board@BridleTrailsCommunity.org so we advocate together---------------------------------------------------------------
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Watch the City Council Meeting at https://www.youtube.com/@BellevueTelevision----------------------------------------------------------------------
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Join the BTCC Comp Plan Committee. This committee will learn, debate, and work with the City keep Bridle Trails great. Email Board@BridleTrailsCommunity.org.----------------------------------------------------------------------
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Chat with any member of the BTCC Board. Contact Pamela Johnston, BTCC Co-President at 425-881-3301---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Register for Comp Plan updates---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Spread the word and get your friends to LEARN, SPEAK, JOIN
There is time to participate. While final decisions are months away, members of the BTCC Board has been meeting with Planning Staff to get answers. Read "Background" in this email.
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City Council Regular Meeting 7/24/2023 | |
35,000 households, 90,000 people and 70,000 jobs are the numbers to focus on no matter what path is chosen to get there. | |
“I'm wondering if the time for R-1 and R-1.8 zoning is over in Bellevue “
– Council Member Jennifer Robertson at the July 17 Bellevue Council meeting.
That is a question that will be made by the City Council to complete the comprehensive plan. The complexity of process for the Bellevue 10 year Comprehensive Plan Update makes it difficult for residents to have their opinion count. BTCC will continue to work on this, along with other neighborhood advocates across Bellevue.
Currently, the focus of the Comp Plan process is to determine what needs to be researched to complete the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS, aka Final EIS or FEIS) and any other studies needed. The EIS is truly an environmental study. Unfortunately, the process focuses on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement(DEIS) and the EIS because it is a known tool required by the states and federal governments for many types of changes and projects. It has legal “teeth”. As a result, non-environmental concerns and helping people understand and be included does get enough attention.
An EIS is supposed to provide a detailed analysis of the potential environmental impacts of the City's growth plans. The DEIS, complex 1000 page document, was not found to be adequate by the Bridle Trails Community Club board. We requested a new DEIS, which has adequately addressed significant issues, be submitted for comment as a new DEIS to allow another round of comments.
The State and County negotiated with our City Council the portion of the Commerce Department's forecasted growth will be planned for Bellevue in the next 20 years. 35,000 homes households/housing units/families) with an average of 2.48 people per household. That is a population growth of nearly 90,000 new residents for a total of 140,000 people, as well as 70,000 new jobs.
35,000 households, 90,000 people and 70,000 jobs are the numbers to focus on no matter what path is chosen to get there.
Comp Plan 2044 Engaging Bellevue site
Comp Plan 2044 City of Bellevue site
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Bellevue City Council July 17, 2023 | |
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WATCH: https://youtu.be/cfKBLs0WXZk?t=1079
READ: “Hello I am Christina Dugoni and I wanted to thank you all for giving me the opportunity to speak tonight.Specifically, I'm here to speak about a property up in the Northeast corner of Bellevue known as Overlake Farm. We are the single largest land holding left in Bellevue. It is 60 acres Tonight. I am here to only discuss the back 40, which consists of three parcels immediately North of us is Sixty-O-One midrise apartment condos and immediately east of us is Overlake. Not over lake, but Bellevue Municipal Golf Course, which interestingly was the other half of our farm until the 140th St. went in in the in the 60s. We are very grateful that you picked us up as R-Low as our NE parcel but we are making a request that you reconsider moving us to our medium which will allow us to put more housing in a clustered concept on our farm.
We don't want to develop our entire farm and hence we are only talking about our back 40. Not our front 20 and we're only really looking to develop along 140th and again next to Sity-O-One and across from the golf course. We also ask that you consider our Southern 2 parcels and add those in, as R- low. Currently I'm assuming maybe there R-LL it's it's R-1 zoning there so our northerly parcel 9269 and that what we request to have redesignated to R-Medium and then our southerly 2 parcels along 140th and immediately across from the golf course is 9247 and 9270. We believe this would have very little impact on the neighborhood due to Sixty-O-One to the north, Bellevue Municipal to the East and step down to our South and we own all the parcels to our West. So we believe that this would have very little impact. Obviously, R-M provides significant more density and allows us to cluster density up in that northeast corner and then do townhomes or cottages. Moving South along 140th. I think that's all I have to say and I really appreciate your consideration in this matter. I submit a written letter earlier today to many of you, thank you.
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WATCH: https://youtu.be/cfKBLs0WXZk?t=2204
READ: Hi there, I'm Lisa Safarria. I'm Christina Degonia's cousin and both of our moms are here. Long time Bellevue people. And thank you for hearing us in this format. I just want to say our family is all on the same page of supporting growth in Bellevue. And specifically, my sister and I own the nine acre parcel that is part of the greater 40 acres and it appeared that it was on the up zone map by the color coding. So we were a little surprised that it wasn't included so we're hoping that the property can support increased housing for Bellevue. And it is very buffered on the South by wetlands, so it has almost no impact to the single family neighbors. It has 61 to the north, which is a higher density.
Of course it has the wonderful public trail also to the north, and then the then you have the very, very busy Road 140th.
(Mayor: Back up just a little bit from the mic.)Sure. Oh, oh, you have the busy road 140th (There you go.) And that seems like it would very much support higher density and then the the public space of the golf course would be so advantageous if more people could enjoy those public spaces we personally live in the South end of Seattle and so.
Bellevue needs a little more density guys and the of course on the I think that's the West side is my cousins 20 acres.
So it's 100% buffered there. It just seems like there's so much potential there and really a beautiful big slate.
And you've got a family that's all on the same page and supporting you. And I think you've ,You've got neighbors that are
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WATCH: https://youtu.be/cfKBLs0WXZk?t=9724 (Council Member Jennifer Robinson)
READ: Thank you. Yeah, I agree with deputy mayor, the neighborhood residential, we're going to be studying the House Bill 1110 and 1337 increases and.
I'm wondering, Bridle Trails is going to get mad at me, but I'm wondering if the time for R-1 and R-1.8 zoning is over in Bellevue. It seems to me that all of our single family residential, the minimum should be suburban, just 3.5 unless it's heavily constrained by its critical areas. It doesn't mean that people have to divide up their big horse lots and do it. But or maybe we just limit it to the Overlake farm. That is the largest undeveloped piece of property in the City and they are asking for 3.5. (not correct)To me, that makes a lot of sense because we need, we need all kinds of housing. But this is the best opportunity for a very large single family home development in the city, which could have ADU’s on it or whatever ,as allowed by 1110 But I absolutely want to study.
OK, because I was trying to what is LL and what is that is that 1 or 1.8?
(Emil King, Planning Director: Large Lot. It's one, one and 1.8.)
And so then, and what's L then? One and 1.8? I couldn't figure it out. I finally found the table.
(Emil King, Planning Director: The RL is 7.5 up to 15.)
Oh, that's R 7.5 the that's what's on the Overlake Farms piece right now in the preferred alternative, the R low?
(Emil King, Planning Director: A small a small part of it, yeah.)
Which part?
(Emil King, Planning Director : Let's see. I think we can come back with a.Map that shows.)
Yeah, cause I think the 20 acres 7.5 is fine. Yeah, that's higher than the 3.5, but.
(Mayor Robinson: maybe you can come back with information based on what the owners were asking.)
..if that's still at R1 or R 1.8. That's too low. If it's at 3.5 or higher. I'm good with the preferred alternative ‘
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Background
The Comprehensive Plan (Comp Plan) that states the City’s Vision, Strategies, and Policies. The City Codes are of all the City laws, regulations, and ordinances, sometimes referred to as laws. The Comp Plan is required under the State Growth Management Act. The process bridges state and County mandates/laws and neighboring municipalities with the desires of people who live, work, play, and own businesses and property.
Currently, BTCC C-President Pamela Johnston is working with other neighborhood leaders to get the Comp Plan process clarified: clarity on what decisions are made when, by whom, and the amount, complexity, quality, and stability of the materials needed to understand the decisions. People did not understand the importance of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement. An EIS is supposed to provide a detailed analysis of the potential environmental impacts of the City's growth plans as well as potential alternatives and mitigation measures. If a EIS is deemed to be incomplete, inaccurate, or biased, and significant environmental impacts are not adequately addressed, if they were a party of record {individuals, organizations, or community groups who commented on the issues or asked to be a party of record) may file a lawsuit to challenge the EIS's adequacy. A complex 1000 page document, was not found to be adequate by the Bridle Trails Community Club board. We requested a new DEIS, which has adequately addressed significant issues, be submitted for comment as a new DEIS to allow another round of comments.
The State and County negotiated with our City Council the portion of the Commerce Department's forecasted growth will be planned for Bellevue in the next 20 years. 35,000 homes households/housing units/families) with an average of 2.48 people per household. That is a population growth of nearly 90,000 new residents for a total of 140,000 people, as well as 70,000 new jobs.
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35,000 households, 90,000 people and 70,000 jobs are the numbers to focus on no matter what path is chosen to get there. | |
Currently, the focus of the Comp Plan process is to determine what needs to be researched to complete the Environmental Impact Statement and any other studies needed. The DEIS is an environmental study. It does not determine if mitigation are adequate, costly, or reasonable. | |
Current (2014) Comp Plan Info | |
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Council Transcript generated by Microsoft Word and checked for blatant errors
Aerial images by Google Earth
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