Residents press commission on Newport Hills redevelopment and ask for clearer public‑comment provenance
February 14, 2024 | Parks and Community Services Board, Bellevue, King County, Washington
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Multiple residents urged the Planning Commission to address long‑standing decline at the Newport Hills Shopping Center and to provide more transparency about who is submitting public comments to the comprehensive‑plan process.
Suzanne Baugh, a retired commercial real‑estate broker and Lake Heights resident, told the commission the Newport Hills center has declined for more than 25 years and urged a change to a "mixed‑use low/medium" designation in the 2044 comprehensive plan so future developers could design financially viable projects within reasonable parameters.
Another commenter said council direction excluded neighborhood business properties from being studied as land‑use map changes in the EIS and warned that changing designations now would amount to a spot rezone that could enable upzoning by outside developers. That commenter asked why positions had shifted over recent months and urged commissioners to scrutinize developer influence.
Loretta Lopez, a Bridal Trails resident, asked staff to make clear in the record whether comments come from Bellevue residents or non‑residents and what weight, if any, the origin of comments carries in staff recommendations to the commission. Emil (staff) said roughly 5,000 people had participated in the outreach to date and that about 90% of respondents who provided demographics listed Bellevue as their residence; he said staff will return with a clearer breakdown and promised to consider how to present that information to improve public trust.
The meeting also included a decorum enforcement moment: a public commenter used hostile and racist language and a participant asked that the record reflect the remarks violated ordinance 6,752; staff then moved to the next speaker.
The commission accepted public testimony and moved on to study sessions; staff said it will compile and share additional outreach results and will return with policy refinements and supporting evidence before public hearings.
Suzanne Baugh, a retired commercial real‑estate broker and Lake Heights resident, told the commission the Newport Hills center has declined for more than 25 years and urged a change to a "mixed‑use low/medium" designation in the 2044 comprehensive plan so future developers could design financially viable projects within reasonable parameters.
Another commenter said council direction excluded neighborhood business properties from being studied as land‑use map changes in the EIS and warned that changing designations now would amount to a spot rezone that could enable upzoning by outside developers. That commenter asked why positions had shifted over recent months and urged commissioners to scrutinize developer influence.
Loretta Lopez, a Bridal Trails resident, asked staff to make clear in the record whether comments come from Bellevue residents or non‑residents and what weight, if any, the origin of comments carries in staff recommendations to the commission. Emil (staff) said roughly 5,000 people had participated in the outreach to date and that about 90% of respondents who provided demographics listed Bellevue as their residence; he said staff will return with a clearer breakdown and promised to consider how to present that information to improve public trust.
The meeting also included a decorum enforcement moment: a public commenter used hostile and racist language and a participant asked that the record reflect the remarks violated ordinance 6,752; staff then moved to the next speaker.
The commission accepted public testimony and moved on to study sessions; staff said it will compile and share additional outreach results and will return with policy refinements and supporting evidence before public hearings.
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