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.