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LAND USE & LIVABILITY COMMITTEE

NEXT MEETING (Sep 6)

Grand Connection Vision Progress Overview with City of Bellevue

City staff will update the committee on the City's strategy to manage the Grand Connection’s holistic buildout. This scope includes Phase 1 of Meydenbauer Bay Park Master Plan as part of the Sequence 1 vision, permit improvements to activating spaces along the route, and advancing work on the I-405 crossing as related to Sequence 2. BDA members will also be updated on the newly formed Friends of the Grand Connection, a stakeholder interest group led by Amazon and the BDA to advance completion of the I-405 crossing project.

The BDA Land Use & Livability Committee is focused on building out and activating the Sequence 1 vision (Meydenbauer Bay Park to the Transit Center). Information gathered and discussed at the September meeting serves to support future committee work.

Meeting Details:
Wednesday, September 6
12:00 – 1:00pm
Microsoft Teams

Committee meetings and resources are reserved for members or invite only. Contact Matt Jack, BDA Policy Manager to join the committee list for access.

Hot Topics

  • Downtown Land Use Code - For over five years, the BDA Land Use & Livability Committee led the stakeholder engagement to update the 30+-old Downtown Land Use Code. Since it's Q4 2017 adoption, the committee has been tracking the code's early implementation and informing process improvements. Over the course of 2018, the committee promoted pre-application process update to improve expectations around earlier design changes in relationship to the new code. Currently, the committee is reflecting on how the code is working and if refinements need to be made. 
     
  • The Grand Connection - From Meydenbauer Bay to the Eastside Rail Corridor, the City plans to connect the two public amenities with a non-motorized pedestrian corridor. The BDA partnered with the City of Bellevue in the summer of 2019 to implement an activation pilot, stitching the corridor together with decor and seating, building capacity for future activations along the corridor. The BDA will be tracking the design phase, land use code changes, incentive programs, and I-405 crossing conceptual work. 
     
  • Wilburton Rezone - East of I-405 from Downtown, the Wilburton Commercial Area is being considered for a rezone. Work on the rezone will continue to Planning Commission and then the City Council. The BDA Land Use & Livability Committee will track its progress every step of the way. Read the latest comment letter about the Wilburton Draft Environment Statement. 
     
  • Housing - Jobs are increasing at a faster rate than the development of affordable and workforce housing. Downtown Bellevue and the Eastside are experiencing a growing disparity that needs to be addressed. The BDA Land Use & Livability Committee plans to gather around the subject to identify opportunities to course correct the problem. Read more about the housing issues in the May 2019 BDA Breakfast recap of Microsoft’s housing initiative presentation.  

 

Get Involved

Committee members receive regular updates, resource materials, meeting invitations, and opportunities to communicate feedback. To join the committee, please contact Matt Jack, BDA Policy Director.