Thank you, East Bellevue residents for voting for the continuance of the East Bellevue Community Council. Receiving 80 percent of the vote, gives EBCC a mandate to represent your interests in land use issues that come before the EBCC. Please be sure to let us know your views on various issues such traffic, zoning, parks use and permits.
Last week we had a presentation on the Affordable Housing Strategy. To help those who work in Bellevue to live in Bellevue, city staff with a technical advisory group has come up with several solutions that could have a great impact on our neighborhoods. Proposed actions involve conversion of church properties to multi family, retention of existing privately owned low rent apartment complexes as affordable housing, and increased development of Accessory Dwelling Units — both attached and detached — on single family zoned properties. Staff is currently working on criteria for some of these options. I am interested in East Bellevue’s voice on these proposals.
We also had a courtesy hearing on the Complete Streets initiative. This is a Comprehensive Plan amendment that will qualify Bellevue to receive grants from state and federal agencies to upgrade our streets so we have transit, bicycle, pedestrian and automobile “modes of transportation” that help the community.
In addition, changes that are actually occurring in neighboring jurisdictions, such as Eastgate, Crossroads, Overlake, Issaquah and Redmond will also impact the Eat Bellevue jurisdiction. We have all noticed the apartments being built in Crossroads and Issaquah, and wonder how those new residents will get from their homes to their jobs and stores, and how that will impact us getting to and from our homes and activities. I plan to continue to attend various commission and board meetings to let the community representatives know that EBCC exists and what our constituent concerns ares.
EBCC meetings are the first Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at the Lake Hills Clubhouse, 15230 Lake Hills Blvd.
Betsi Hummer
Bellevue
