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Join us for a middle housing info session Wednesday





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DEVELOPMENT SERVICES UPDATE





Fall 2024





Learn more about middle housing updates: Join us for an info session





With the adoption of the Comprehensive Plan, the City of Bellevue has started work on updating city codes to accommodate and encourage middle housing in the city. What is middle housing? It is a term that refers to the range of housing types that fall between single family and midrise scale multifamily buildings, both in the structure type and the number of units per structure. This includes duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, fiveplexes, and sixplexes, as well as cottages, courtyard buildings, and townhomes. This work builds on the extensive public outreach conducted during the Comprehensive Plan update process on middle housing and advances many of the city's housing and land use goals and policies. 

 

The community is invited to attend public information sessions on Dec. 5 and 9. Community members are encouraged to register online [ https://Bellevue-middle-housing-info-sessions.eventbrite.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery ]. Interested in learning more about the code updates? Additional information is available on the Middle Housing Code Amendments page [ https://bellevuewa.gov/city-government/departments/development/codes-and-guidelines/code-amendments/middle-housing-code-amendments?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery ]. 






Photo by Stanton J Stephens. Five townhomes attached with shared walls in a row featuring grey and white exterior with wood accents.

Photo by Stanton J. Stephens






Permit streamlining measures approved by City Council

On Nov. 26, the Bellevue City Council held a public hearing on proposed land use code amendments that align city regulations with the requirements of Senate Bill (SB) 5290, which was signed into law in 2023. The code amendments incorporate changes to codify permit timelines, clarify application requirements, and streamline processes to improve efficiency for development permits. Specific updates include simplifying requirements for certain types of projects and enhancing rules for determining application completeness. Read more about the council action and access links to the materials in the Council Roundup [ https://bellevuewa.gov/city-news/council-roundup-permit-streamlining-measures-approved?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery ].

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Housing Opportunities in Mixed-Use Areas LUCA

The Housing Opportunities in Mixed-Use Areas (HOMA) land use code amendment aims to promote housing development by allowing higher density, increasing building heights, addressing barriers to housing production, and establishing affordable housing programs—either mandatory or voluntary—in various mixed-use areas of the city. The proposal also includes updates to land use districts and the land use map to align with the Future Land Use Map [ https://bellevuewa.gov/sites/default/files/media/pdf_document/2024/futurelandusekcp_24x32_0.pdf?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery ] in the recently adopted Comprehensive Plan [ https://bellevuewa.gov/city-government/departments/community-development/planning-initiatives/comprehensive-plan?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery ]. Learn more on the HOMA project webpage [ https://bellevuewa.gov/city-government/departments/development/codes-and-guidelines/code-amendments/housing-opportunities-mixed-use-areas-land-use-code-amendment?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery ].

Join us for an information session

Several virtual and in-person events will be held to provide information and gather feedback from the community. The first event is Monday, Dec. 16 from 12 - 1p.m. Learn more and register online [ https://www.eventbrite.com/e/housing-opportunities-in-mixed-use-areas-information-session-tickets-1101807890059?aff=oddtdtcreator&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery ]. Please note, this is just the first of several planned information sessions.






Photo by Stanton J Stephens. SoundTransit Link 2 line train at Wilburton Station. Downtown Bellevue is visible in the background.

Photo by Stanton J. Stephens






Wilburton Transit Oriented Development planning

In July, the city council adopted changes to the city's Comprehensive Plan's Volume 2 Wilburton/N.E. 8th Street Subarea Plan with new Wilburton Transit Oriented Development area policies and map changes. Staff continue to develop land use code amendments (LUCA) that implement those adopted policy and map changes, as well as incorporate public, internal and Planning Commission feedback. The latest LUCA was published in December and additional information on the code amendments can be found on the Wilburton Vision webpage [ https://bellevuewa.gov/city-government/departments/community-development/planning-initiatives/wilburton-vision?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery ]. 






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Prepare your home for winter weather

Aerial photo of a truck driving on a street with snow on trees and the side of the roadway.

Preparing a home for winter weather is essential for safety, comfort and to avoid costly repairs. Some suggested steps are to inspect and seal windows and doors, inspect roofs, check heating systems, clear gutters and downspouts, insulate pipes and plumbing, test smoke are carbon monoxide detectors and check attic insulation.

Need guidance on these and more? The International Code Council (ICC) created a list of Winter Safety Resources [ https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/safety-toolkits/winter-safety-resources/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery ]. Qualified professionals are available to perform these duties and more to ensure winter readiness. 







Sustainable Bellevue environmental stewardship plan update

Girl planting a fern the ground

To further its commitment to sustainability, the City of Bellevue has kicked off the year-long process of updating its five-year "Sustainable Bellevue" environmental stewardship plan. Guiding the city's progress on environmental initiatives, the plan helps ensure future efforts remain on pace to meet Bellevue's sustainability goals, including a 95% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Learn more about Bellevue's sustainability initiatives on the city's environmental stewardship page [ https://bellevuewa.gov/city-government/departments/community-development/environmental-stewardship?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery ]. 







Visit and shop Factoria Day is Dec. 7

Factoria shopping center storefronts

To celebrate the completion of the Factoria Boulevard Stormwater Improvement Project, the City of Bellevue is hosting "Visit and Shop Factoria Day" to thank the community, businesses and project partners for their cooperation and involvement in completing this critical piece of infrastructure to prevent future flooding along Factoria Boulevard. Learn more from Bellevue Utilities [ https://bellevuewa.gov/city-government/departments/utilities/utilities-projects-plans-standards/capital-projects/factoria-boulevard-stormwater-conveyance?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery ]. 







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Customer Experience: Your opinions matter to us

In 2024, your feedback helped us make significant strides in improving Development Services. We received 642 permit survey responses and 128 "kudos" for our staff, reflecting their professionalism and dedication to serving the community. With input gathered from eight feedback sources and discussions at 12 Bellevue Development Committee (BDC) meetings, we identified key areas for growth. 

This year, we refined our survey scales to reduce bias, added tracking for customer suggestions, expanded survey translations, and introduced a "Business Owner/Tenant" option to better understand permitting challenges faced by the business community. These updates help to ensure we are addressing the needs of our customers effectively. 

As a department, Development Services is proud that 83% of customers report satisfaction, 87% found our responses timely, and 88% recognized our staff's professionalism. Thank you for your continued feedback and partnership as we work to serve you better. 






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Customer Resources





Bellevue MapViewer

Access a variety of interactive map layers for parks and trails, wetlands, property information and more. The Map Viewer also includes development and construction information via the permit data layer. Select the "Permits" layer and zoom in. Access the Map Viewer on the city's Maps and GIS page [ https://bellevuewa.gov/city-government/departments/ITD/maps-gis?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery ]. 

Prevent frozen pipes this winter

Bellevue Utilities has information on their website [ https://bellevuewa.gov/city-government/departments/utilities/manage-your-utility-services/water/prevent-frozen-pipes-and-if-one-breaks?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery ] about how to prevent frozen pipes. 

New fees in 2025

In November, the city council approved 2025 fees. Information and the ordinance is available in the council agenda materials [ https://bellevue.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?GUID=7A34C872-9181-434C-8143-C824F7BD506E&ID=7023463&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery ]. Details will be available this month on our Permit Fees page [ https://bellevuewa.gov/city-government/departments/development/permits/permit-fees-payment?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery ]. 

Major Projects in Bellevue

Development Services publishes regular updates on private projects in and around Downtown Bellevue and BelRed on our website. The quarterly major projects lists and other information on development activity [ https://bellevuewa.gov/development-activity?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery ] are available for the community. 






Photo by James Gagliardi. Gateway signage for Garden d'Lights and the Rock Garden featuring colored uplighting.

Gateway signage for Garden d'Lights and a Rock Garden






Celebrating its 30th year, Garden d'Lights [ https://bellevuewa.gov/city-news/garden-dlights-illuminates-holidays-half-million-lights?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery ] continues nightly at the Bellevue Botanical Gardens through Tuesday, Dec. 31 (closed Christmas Day). 

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