[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6267794,"mediaKeyId","3062850-6aeaee00aa68098386ff35302d1c6bbe","parentId",3062850,"title","Council appoints Vishal Bhargava to fill council vacancy; approves release of Main Street water easement","audioSeconds",507,"startMs",5156000,"endMs",5663000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3062850-6aeaee00aa68098386ff35302d1c6bbe&start=5156&end=5663","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3062850-6aeaee00aa68098386ff35302d1c6bbe/thumbnail_5156000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6267794/Bellevue/King-County/Washington/Council-appoints-Vishal-Bhargava-to-fill-council-vacancy-approves-release-of-Main-Street-water-easement","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6267794-8d3e9dede01b049cf10566680791b1a1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770393447&Signature=oPFO6dpHDc3BxZ4fyOdZ6N0AAHbf-mRrWqQaLeXEaQ849dUCb8BzwP8SE-SIplBpGE5Qi0EmzTSoaAkjg-6oKJruLHRkVI1wNP1qe14uvQx3LJCLB3xoqw-Vm0DVcVE2wNs7yHbAR0sbThuhnIOrGC-zZoDhBfGNF6siDxPNP3NoPpAvKsiYlV8adkG4KNbLPZcd3VyBVmXNbEndUEURNyKU3hQT3CFicDu9FvoBYArHjKyOFQjbPXdr-aZ3gYEkbGfJ4uqwVVk5qpUwCSJxVckBHpuHhTz-MvRkTOrAw4vC-KpvQv2wP8fFcv0UL-NlyE1OcBJbOlAkTptj1TEr~Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Bellevue City, WA","date","2025-04-20T04:11:26.567Z","article","The Bellevue City Council on April 15 voted to appoint Vishal Bhargava to Position 1 on the council effective May 5, 2025, and approved a staff resolution to release a city water easement at 11040 Main Street to accommodate a private redevelopment.

Appointment: A motion to appoint Vishal Bhargava (motion text read from the dais) was moved and seconded; Councilmember Lee provided the second on the record. The council took the vote after a brief discussion about the effective date and the timing of Councilmember Stokes’ departure; Stokes was recused from the appointment discussion and was recorded as recused for the vote. The motion passed with all remaining voting members in favor.

Easement release: Council also held a public hearing and, with no public testimony, adopted Resolution 10496 authorizing staff to execute documents to release an existing water easement at 11040 Main Street. Staff said the property owner is redeveloping the site as a 351‑unit residential building with 117,000 square feet of below‑grade parking and mechanical space. Staff reported that the water main inside the easement would be removed and capped because utilities and fire determined the line is a redundant fire‑flow loop and is not required for future service. The easement had been declared surplus and — because it was originally acquired at no cost to the city — staff recommended no compensation for the release.

Votes at a glance:
- Appointment of Vishal Bhargava to Position 1 (motion text: \"I move to appoint Vishal Bhargava to position 1 on the Bellevue City Council effective 05/05/2025 and contingent upon Council Member Stokes' resignation on May 2.\") — Outcome: approved. Vote: yes 6; no 0; abstain 0; recused 1 (Councilmember Stokes). Mover: not specified in transcript; second: Councilmember Lee.
- Resolution 10496, release of water easement at 11040 Main Street (motion text read by council member): \"I move to adopt resolution 10496, authorizing the execution of documents necessary to release an existing water easement located at 11040 Main Street, which has been declared surplus to the city's needs and is no longer required for providing continued water service.\" — Outcome: approved. Vote: yes 7; no 0; abstain 0. Mover and second: not specified on record.

No dissenting votes were recorded at the microphones. Both actions were procedural in nature: the appointment fills a council vacancy subject to the departing member’s resignation, and the easement release enables a private redevelopment after staff concluded the line is redundant for fire flow and future needs.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Bellevue City Council Meeting - April 15. 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Bellevue City Council voted to appoint Vishal Bhargava to the vacant Position 1 seat effective May 5, contingent on a council resignation; council also adopted Resolution 10496 to release a water easement at 11040 Main Street to allow a redevelopment with no compensation because the easement was originally acquired at no cost.","taxTitle","Bellevue, King County, Washington","taxId",2544,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6267797,"Jubilee Reach update: volunteer program completed 124 home projects in Bellevue in 2024",397,2273000,2670000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3062850-6aeaee00aa68098386ff35302d1c6bbe&start=2273&end=2670","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3062850-6aeaee00aa68098386ff35302d1c6bbe/thumbnail_2273000.jpg","/articles/6267797/Bellevue/King-County/Washington/Jubilee-Reach-update-volunteer-program-completed-124-home-projects-in-Bellevue-in-2024","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6267797-a82d8d3e983590362f76d996f9115a98/orig.mp4?Expires=1770393447&Signature=g78bPUIXBTWH1kaCSUerD-VPmltbdmveZTnISiy~1W6zg9v17meNyP1AK0ofi2FbN5p~EHYWBZsQCoYl0JkK9N5Nmb1TvZRA-JiopuMsA7iuXVmsqPh9Y6OdzNLkM6x6PBip1yZCCVcxGEcNdgOj~FDQdgks9pnttqoPI~TAWwS9xlWwlsA~h77rAw~Gz2frW1ObZAy3oKh2WnRQsHaK7Mbhga-kUIGPvQT1MoZlCq0Z-4Dy~loYmaSaNjI4jtm-yzMpZzsREA5anb0NCiBRs7aKBLpg8GFtZ-niiLm1YJ0GxOWZptIKEDAdT31jqnPDzoIu-xuNUtM5WOXq~qzE7Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff and representatives of Jubilee Reach briefed the Bellevue City Council on April 15 about Jubilee in the Community, a volunteer program that pairs resident volunteers with Bellevue homeowners who need exterior home repairs due to age, disability or financial hardship.

Serena Miller, Bellevue’s Keep Bellevue Beautiful coordinator, said the program — formerly called Day of Sharing and Caring — helps homeowners who may be isolated, elderly or in financial distress with projects such as painting, yard work and fence repair. The program provides application materials in multiple languages and mailed 2,000 application packets in March; staff reported more than 50 applications had been received by that mailing.

Randy Ng, Jubilee Reach executive director, and Ken Carpenter, Jubilee’s director of community care, described recent cases where volunteers cleared yards, painted homes and constructed fences for grieving families and long‑term residents. Carpenter said the program’s benefit goes beyond physical repairs: volunteers also provide social support and reduce isolation for recipients.

Program data presented to council: Jubilee Reach completed 124 projects in 2024 with contributions from 953 volunteers; in 2008, 16 projects were completed in the program’s early years. Staff encouraged eligible homeowners to apply by the June 30 deadline; paper applications are available at community centers and City Hall and online forms are provided in English, Korean, simplified and traditional Chinese, Spanish, Russian, Japanese and Vietnamese.

No council action was requested; the briefing was informational.

","City staff and Jubilee Reach updated council on 'Jubilee in the Community,' a volunteer program that connects residents with exterior home repairs; 124 projects were completed in 2024 and applications are open through June 30.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6267804,"Bellevue council studies major Wilburton land‑use code overhaul after years of stakeholder talks",0,3408000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3062850-6aeaee00aa68098386ff35302d1c6bbe&start=3408&end=3408","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3062850-6aeaee00aa68098386ff35302d1c6bbe/thumbnail_3408000.jpg","/articles/6267804/Bellevue/King-County/Washington/Bellevue-council-studies-major-Wilburton-landuse-code-overhaul-after-years-of-stakeholder-talks","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6267804-4c849467c37c5fc2614e89854a9245b4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770393447&Signature=EzisHpWy3B8UMiFGIUwu~zWrlIDQ-ZBUYpUN5ogGRzBI3VfTuWQFoPjtsMCbvcsfIL6t-hycNYpiZDjO1AVVXav1uTK16UIVvMyun2qU6XyWsP8MHHPbjKG~65Gp~kEj6adPGZKhhp-bWPC7QOlxmSQ~AMQVQ0AReRv81kd5FmRCVTzWc3QXCV5KN5Vq3qPhJyVZAVjQs48Ez~XPR61imAF6X1JK~xyrH1u83TFR3TJApUqJDS-Bth6huxv7-Sow8DPWdUoYIfiQ044RPN1hi-J5~Osyg8wCCQD50QTT0XwDOLxGyrl1LkkB6Li4zcohXmUXLsWly1wPlhN6vD1H-Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Bellevue City Council on April 15 heard detailed staff and Planning Commission briefings on a proposed Land Use Code Amendment (LUCA) that would rezone about 300 acres in the Wilburton area to enable high‑density, transit‑and‑trail‑oriented development.

The amendment, which follows a city Comprehensive Plan amendment adopted in July 2024, would create four new Wilburton land‑use districts with building heights ranging from about 100 feet to as much as 450 feet in an urban core. It would also add requirements and incentives for affordable housing, new public and private access corridors, open‑space standards and green‑building measures. Planning Commission Chair Gopal transmitted a unanimous recommendation for adoption and described the package as an iterative compromise formed over months of stakeholder and public engagement.

Why it matters: The LUCA is intended to align zoning with long‑range investments — four light‑rail stations, Eastrail and the Grand Connection — and to shape Wilburton as a mixed‑use neighborhood with housing, jobs, and walkable public space. Staff and the planning commission estimate the zone could accommodate thousands of homes over time; planning‑level projections cited in the presentation showed up to 4,000 new homes within a 20‑year buildout scenario.

Details of the proposed code: The staff presentation described four new subdistricts (urban core; mixed‑use high‑rise; mixed‑use mid‑rise; mixed‑use residential mid‑rise) that taper height and form toward existing neighborhoods. The LUCA would use an as‑of‑right base floor‑area ratio (FAR) with an amenity incentive program that lets projects exceed base FAR in exchange for public benefits. Affordable‑housing requirements would be mandatory, with multiple compliance paths: on‑site set‑asides, off‑site performance, land or parcel transfers to the city, and a fee‑in‑lieu option. A catalyst program would offer reduced set‑asides and lower fees for projects that vest at land‑use application and show progress toward permit submittal within a fixed time window. Staff also included a separate, deeper commercial catalyst (including life‑science discounts) to encourage certain employment uses.

Stakeholder positions: Public commenters and stakeholder groups urged different priorities: the East Side Housing Roundtable (represented at the microphone by Joe Fain, Bellevue Chamber, and Patience Malaba, Housing Development Consortium) urged Option A and a 10% rental set‑aside at 80% AMI, plus the MFTE (“double count”) approach to make mandatory inclusionary requirements feasible. Developers and property owners — including TJ Woosley, Alan Bornstein (representing a property owner), Steve Kramer (KG Investment Properties) and Sean Thorson (American Capital Group) — supported the LUCA’s goals but asked for reduced fees, narrower required local‑street cross‑sections or removal of some local‑street requirements on specific parcels, and more flexibility on block and corridor widths to preserve feasibility on small or constrained sites. Residents and commenters raised concerns about density, parking and neighborhood character.

A notable point of debate was the city’s proposal for local public streets and other corridor types (flex access corridors, shared‑use paths and service corridors). Transportation staff (Molly Johnson) explained the 67‑foot local‑street section would provide sidewalks, emergency and service access and long‑term city maintenance — advantages that differ from private access corridors — and that the LUCA also contains narrower private corridor options (down to a 14‑foot shared‑use path in some locations) to reduce land take where appropriate.

Affordable housing and MFTE: Several speakers pressed council to adopt a permissive stacking of the Multifamily Tax Exemption (MFTE) program — referred to by commenters as an “MFTE supercharger” — so projects can layer incentives without deeper AMI reductions. Jesse Clausen and others pointed to Seattle experience (2008–2015) as evidence that MFTE stacking can generate thousands of income‑restricted units alongside market‑rate housing. Planning staff said MFTE changes are not ready tonight and would require a separate ordinance and analysis; multiple council members asked staff to return with options and timelines for MFTE updates.

Council direction and next steps: Councilmembers praised staff, the Planning Commission and stakeholder collaboration. Several members requested additional analyses before final action, including comparisons of the Planning Commission recommendation, the East Side Housing Roundtable proposal and alternative drafts; an analysis of fee‑in‑lieu vesting and how vesting at land‑use application would affect affordability; a targeted review of local‑street alignments for sites identified by property owners as constrained; and confirmation of open‑space triggers and whether a 10% open‑space set‑aside is appropriate relative to nearby districts. Council set a placeholder for further discussion on May 20 and asked staff to return with the requested follow‑up material.

“The LUCA sets the foundation for private investment to follow with zoning and land‑use rules that finally match our ambitious vision,” Deputy Mayor Malakoutian said during council comments. Planning Commission Chair Gopal told council the commission’s unanimous recommendation balances flexibility, feasibility and long‑term livability.

The LUCA remains a study‑session item; no adoption vote was taken on April 15. Staff indicated the package will return for additional council direction and possible final action after the requested analyses and follow‑up outreach.

","Council and staff presented a planning‑commission recommendation to rezone Wilburton for a transit‑and‑trail‑oriented neighborhood; stakeholders urged different approaches on affordable housing, street widths and developer incentives. Council asked staff for follow‑up and set a May 20 return date for more analysis.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council appoints Vishal Bhargava to fill council vacancy; approves release of Main Street water easement

Jubilee Reach update: volunteer program completed 124 home projects in Bellevue in 2024

Bellevue council studies major Wilburton land‑use code overhaul after years of stakeholder talks