The Bellevue City Council took a final vote Tuesday night overhauling residential zoning, allowing additional types of housing throughout the city’s lower-density neighborhoods. The move was a direct response to housing mandates from the state legislature. Bellevue’s vote mirrored others taken recently in cities like Seattle, and was the last step in a long process that saw an ambitious proposal intended to increase housing access in the Eastside’s largest jobs center heavily watered down.
The final product was framed as a compromise, but it ultimately only exceeds the state minimum requirements in a few areas, leaving considerable potential for denser housing in Bellevue near transit and amenities on the table. Even so, the council faced significant pressure to scale the proposal back even more ahead of final passage.
“The feedback from the community has been 50% wanting us to do more than we proposed to do two weeks ago, and 50% wanting us to do less,” Bellevue Mayor Lynne Robinson said Tuesday. “I didn’t get everything the way I wanted it particularly, but it is a good balance.”
When introduced early this year, Bellevue’s draft middle housing code was one of the most ambitious in the region, going much further than the state-mandated baseline. The state’s minimum threshold pushes cities to allow at least four units on lots citywide, and six units within a quarter-mile of light rail and RapidRide bus stations.
Bellevue’s initial proposal would have allowed up to nine units within a half mile of those types of transit stations, along with the city’s regional and countywide growth centers, and six units close to other frequent bus lines, neighborhood business districts, and regional centers like Crossroads and Eastgate.
Bellevue’s higher-than-average lot sizes compared to other regional cities was cited as a major reason to go bold when it came to the city’s most in-demand areas. Bellevue’s “high density” R-5 zone, a common designation throughout the city, currently comes with a 7,200 square foot minimum lot-size requirement.
But by the time the proposal received the stamp of approval of the Bellevue Planning Commission in April, additional density near frequent buses — apart from RapidRide lines — was dropped, along with areas close to neighborhood centers across the city. The proposal density limit near light rail and RapidRide stops was scaled back to six units, matching areas close to regional growth centers. The big question was whether the Bellevue Council would pare things back any further.
Two weeks ago, it became clear that the answer was yes, but a series of votes during a marathon four-hour work session exposed some sharp divides on the council. Councilmembers Dave Hamilton and Vishal Bhargava, along with Deputy Mayor Mo Malakutian formed a bloc in favor of retaining the Planning Commission’s recommendation, with Conrad Lee, Jared Nieuwenhuis, and Mayor Lynne Robinson pushing to add additional concessions. Bhargava, who joined the council just last month, had been on the commission when the recommendation was approved, though he’d previously signaled a willingness to reconsider some of its elements.
Claire Sumadiwirya, another recent council appointee, proved to be the crucial swing vote, siding with the Mayor’s majority to scale back the areas where sixplexes would be allowed near light rail and RapidRide to a quarter-mile, the minimum required. Her vote also allowed the proposed 38-foot height limit, one of the most flexible put forward regionally, to be brought down to 32 feet, or 35 feet with a pitched roof.
The conservative-leaning four-member bloc also voted to scale back allowances specifically targeted at encouraging cottage housing, bringing height limits down to 24 feet and maximum unit size to 1,500 square feet. The move may push many homebuilders to consider different housing types.
Sumadiwirya joined the council in March, following Janice Zahn’s departure upon winning an appointment to fill the vacant 41th Legislative District seat in the State House. Zahn had generally been a pro-housing voice, but Sumadiwirya hinted at some hesitancy early in her bid. Her application letter stressed a goal of “ensuring our growth is rooted in strong local support and inclusive community processes.” It turns out Zahn’s Council seat changing hands had major policy implications.
Mayor Robinson, arguing to scale back potential sixplexes from a half-mile to a quarter-mile, tried to assert that she was voting for housing affordability, because developers could choose to build two subsidized affordable units if they want to get to six units further from transit. But Deputy Mayor Malakoutian picked apart that argument, noting that ratio of units likely won’t actually come to fruition in many places.
“Based on all of the conversation that we heard on the Planning Commission, the developer[s] right now believe that there won’t be any six units production if 33% of that is going to be at 80% of [area median income],” Malakoutian said. “That doesn’t pencil out. So my concern is we are going to lose density near transit, near light rail, if we don’t go to six stories.”
Sumadiwirya, meanwhile, explained her vote against greater flexibility on building heights using some direct anti-development buzzwords.
“I think when a building that is middle housing that’s really out of place — it’s dramatically higher than other units — as like affects the whole cohesiveness of our neighborhood,” Sumadiwirya said. “Also also our neighbors, they invest a lot of time building their home. So I think that making a neighborhood more cohesive protects the value and then also the look of [and], I think, the unity of the neighborhood.”
Malakoutian, who sits in on Planning Commission meetings as a liaison, emerged as a champion for holding the line, even as he was outvoted on individual decisions.
“The cost is high. There is not that much supply of housing,” Malakoutian said. “We are seeing children, grandchildren, are struggling to afford to live in this community they grow up in. Our essential workers, teachers, firefighters, nurses, local business employees, they can’t buy anything here in Bellevue. And this is not just a kind of abstract economic issue. This is about people’s families, the future of our city.”
This year five of Bellevue’s seven councilmembers, including the mayor, are running to retain their seats, and the shadow of the election was clearly visible as the middle housing code moved through council. Ahead of the unanimous final vote Tuesday, several councilmembers raised the prospect of potential unintended consequences, signaling an intent to reassess the zoning changes within a few years — a clear concession to voices within the city urging minimal action.
“I would put in there that if we see some instances that are negatively impacting neighborhoods that could be replicated as a model to other neighborhoods, that we take action immediately on that,” Nieuwenhuis said. “Because if it’s happening in Bridle Trails, it could go to Lake Hills, or it could go to Crossroads or wherever. So I would put that on staff if we could, if we see some very negative activity happening that’s having a really bad impact, not only for quality-of-life issues, but it could be transportation, utility issues, whatever that might be, I would ask that you bring that back immediately for us to look at and hopefully be able to adjust if necessary.”
Nieuwenhuis, who had been outspoken in his opposition to a state mandate for additional density in 2023, touted the final proposal, clearly framing the city’s lower density areas as something to be shielded rather than invested in with additional housing.
“I think that we’re coming very close in terms of what is best for Bellevue,” Nieuwenhuis said. “It’s not perfect at all, but I think we took some really important votes last time in terms of scaling the setbacks to match lot sizes, limit the six-unit maximum to within a quarter mile of major transit. I think that could avoid some excessive sprawl.”
Dave Hamilton, who had joined Malakoutian in trying to keep some of the Planning Commission’s recommendations in place, suggested that the city had conducted a rigorous process and should now get out of the way and let housing be built. Hamilton contrasted himself with several of his colleagues who suggested that the city didn’t do enough outreach to impacted neighborhoods.
“From my point of view, the middle housing land use code is done,” Hamilton said. “Middle housing was studied as part of the Comp Plan update, as earlier mentioned, part of our final environmental impact statement, [which] concluded that our infrastructure systems, like utilities, schools, police and fire services can support a level of development well beyond what’s going to be built.”
This week’s vote settles — at least for now — the most contentious housing debate in Bellevue, until the council takes up an issue that will likely prove just as spicy: how to allow redevelopment of underutilized commercial properties throughout the city’s existing mixed-use areas.
The Urbanist is hosting a panel discussion titled Urbanism on the Eastside on Sunday, July 6 at 4pm in Bellevue. Get your tickets now to hear from a stacked panel that includes Bothell Mayor Mason Thompson, Redmond Councilmember Melissa Stuart, Bellevue Council Candidate Naren Brier, and other local leaders.
Ryan Packer has been writing for The Urbanist since 2015, and currently reports full-time as Contributing Editor. Their beats are transportation, land use, public space, traffic safety, and obscure community meetings. Packer has also reported for other regional outlets including BikePortland, Seattle Met, and PubliCola. They live in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle.