Planning Commission directs staff to set public hearing on Bell Red LUCA

The City of Bellevue Planning Commission voted to direct staff to set a public hearing on the proposed Bell Red Land Use Code Amendment (LUCA) following a dense study session and a lengthy public-comment period. Commissioner Farris moved that the commission "direct staff to set up the public hearing," and the motion passed by voice vote.

Staff told the commission the LUCA includes major changes: higher base and maximum FAR in many districts, increased building heights, a new amenity incentive (fee-in-lieu) with a recommended allocation of 35% for housing, 50% for open space and 15% for arts, expanded bonus eligibility for stream restoration, and new flexibility for local street alignment and development agreements. Christina Gallant, code and policy planning manager, emphasized that some items — notably stream daylighting — are incentivized and not mandatory: "It is not in fact required under the code," she said regarding daylighting.

Why it matters: the commission’s public-hearing decision moves LUCA from study to formal public review, triggering additional notice requirements and structured comment opportunities. Commissioners repeatedly requested clearer statement of street-grid goals and possible calibration of developer options (performance path, DA eligibility, and varied assurances for stream-related bonuses) before final recommendation to council.

Next steps: staff will schedule the public hearing and return with any clarified materials requested by the commission (including a clearer goals statement for the street-grid map and additional analysis on offsets and MFTE interactions). The commission indicated it may hold further study sessions if the public hearing raises unresolved issues.