Bellevue P&Z shows assist for large-density housing downtown | Bellevue
Monday, March 1, 2021. bellevue buildings. Main avenue.
Amid a countywide housing crunch, the Bellevue Setting up and Zoning Fee appeared to display typical assist Monday for alterations to metropolis zoning regulations that would enable for the elevated improvement of new multi-loved ones housing, or flats buildings, downtown.
Neighborhood Progress Director Diane Shay explained she labored for about six months to come across a way to aid much more housing improvement in the experience of an acute valley-huge housing scarcity, settling on a proposed multi-housing overlay district in the metropolis core together Principal Street in between Cedar and Chestnut streets, the total length of the original townsite.
The proposed “Business Core Residential Overlay District” would make it possible for for an unlimited selection of housing models for each acre, so long as ample onsite parking, snow storage, landscaping and bare minimum 10% of usable open up area are included. Housing models could be as small as 550 sq. ft in sizing.
The proposed Enterprise Core Residential Overlay District would consist of properties in the Organization, Constrained Company Residential and Transitional zones.
“I’m for this,” stated P&Z Commissioner Ray McCollum. “I think we can make it do the job.”
The P&Z Commission agreed Monday to require a wall or other buffer involving structures “as needed” and eradicated the open house need, as nicely as the need to have for landscaping.
“I don’t assume you have to have landscaping in there,” mentioned P&Z Commissioner Robert Wiesen.
P&Z Chair John Kurtz questioned why employees didn’t prolong the proposed overlay all the way down Key Road on the west side.
“No major motive,” Shay stated, incorporating that her intention was to revitalize Principal Street and preserve it “walkable.” There was some discussion about maximizing sidewalks as aspect of the proposed district.
Ketchum resident John Sofro, who has assets on Main Road north of the proposed overlay boundary, stated the town could use urban renewal company funding to create spots in the downtown main all over the housing.
“Thank you for even thinking about this,” Sofro reported.
Recent zoning in Bellevue enables for greatest housing density in the Typical Household zone of a person duplex on a 6,000 sq. foot great deal, provided the residence is currently being made by ARCH housing have faith in, Habitat for Humanity, or another housing company. Modifications talked about Monday would do away with the housing agency necessity and the restriction of 1 unit for every 3,000 sq. ft.
Proposed adjustments to the Business enterprise zone incorporate letting for housing units in a combined-use building so prolonged as the developing contained a “permitted and continuously operating organization.”
Bellevue resident Tom Blanchard asked how the metropolis would limit the units to people today who “work in the valley.” And Kurtz instructed Shay to investigate the likelihood of restricting the use of shorter-term rentals in new developments in the proposed district, to make certain they presented long time period rental housing.
Shay stated the town has no small-expression rentals, but that she would “look into it.”
A community listening to on the proposed improvements to metropolis code will take location on Aug. 16 at 6 p.m.
