Bellevue 2044 - Housing

Bellevue is considering several approaches to housing in order to reach our target of 35,000 new housing units by 2044. These approaches take into account state and regional requirements as well as City Council direction including:

• Create more housing options such as duplexes, townhomes, and other modest scale housing.
• Create options that are affordable at all income levels, especially for households that have low incomes.
• ensure housing has access to jobs and transit. 
• Address impacts from historic discrimination in land use and housing.

Each approach looks at different areas of the city and combines them in different ways. These areas include the city's

	Urban Core - Downtown, BelRed, Wilburton, and East Main These areas have larger high-rise and mid-rise apartment and condo buildings.  Most of the units are 1-bedrooms and studios. Residents in these areas can easily walk to jobs, retail, transit and amenities
	Mixed Use - Crossroads, Eastgate, Factoria These areas have mid-rise apartments and a mix of smaller apartments and townhomes. There is a greater mix of unit sizes Residents in these areas have good access to jobs, retail, transit and amenities.
	Transit Nodes These areas have mid-rise apartments and a mix of smaller apartments and townhomes. These nodes are often on or near arterials There is retail and services at the ground level, but less variety than in other areas.
	Neighborhood Centers These areas have smaller apartments and a mix of fourplexes, triplexes, duplexes, and townhomes.  Residents in or near these centers have walkable access. These centers can support smaller, locally owned businesses.
	Neighborhood Residential Mostly a mix of single-family homes with some duplexes, triplexes, cottage homes, and town homes.  Not generally close to retail or transit so residents mostly have to drive to services and amenities.

You will see that with each approach there is more capacity than our housing target. Having more capacity gives developers (both non-profit and for-profit) more flexibility to respond to the needs of future residents. This means developers can build a greater variety of housing types and provide more choice in more neighborhoods. 

Below are some brief introductions to the different housing approaches. If you would like more details you can download our Planning for Housing Guide, view the Housing Alternative Boards, see data from the 2022 Bellevue Housing Needs Assessment.

At this point in the process, we aren't asking people to choose a "favorite" approach. There is still more work to be done before we can fully evaluate these approaches. Right now we want to know what you like about any aspect of these approaches and any concerns you have.

Before you jump in the discussion of the approaches, tell us:

When you think about the issue of housing what values and goals are most important to you?

Maximizing our transit investments to support vibrant urban centers. 

Map showing where new development would go (light green areas represent parks)

 

This approach would focus most of the new housing growth in Downtown, BelRed, Wilburton, and East Main, and add additional density in mixed-use areas of Crossroads, Factoria, and Eastgate.

New development in the urban core areas would be larger apartments that are 10 or more stories and mid-rise apartments that are 5-10 stories. The majority of housing units in those buildings would most likely be 1-bedroom and studio apartments. 

Additional low-scale housing options like duplexes, townhomes, or cottage homes would be allowed in neighborhoods throughout the city. 

Capacity for Housing: 59,100 units

What do you like about this option?

What concerns do you have about this option?

Supporting transit focused hubs and corridors by enhancing mixed use areas and neighborhood centers throughout the city. 

This approach builds off Approach 1 by adding new development around areas that have frequent bus services and allow for both residential and commercial uses in the neighborhood shopping centers. 

New housing development in these areas would include mid-rise apartments, smaller apartments that are 3-5 stories, and townhomes. In neighborhood shopping centers like Yarrowood, Lake Hills, Newport housing could be mixed with retail.

Like the previous approach, additional low-scale housing options would be allowed in neighborhoods throughout the city. 

Capacity for Housing: 76,300

What do you like about this option?

What concerns do you have about this option?

Supporting complete communities with walkable neighborhood centers. 

This approach builds off both Approaches 1 & 2 by adding new housing development around neighborhood centers within 1/2 mile of the smaller neighborhood centers that exist today.

New housing development in these areas would include small apartments between 3-5 stories, town homes, four-, tri-, and duplexes. 

Like the previous approaches, additional low-scale housing options would be allowed in neighborhoods throughout the city.

Capacity for Housing: 94,500

What do you like about this option? 

What concerns do you have about this option?

Put new development in current growth corridor.

Under this approach there are no changes in land use or policies. Currently almost all of the capacity for housing is in Downtown and BelRed. The housing developed in those locations under the current policies would be primarily mid- and high-rise buildings.

Most buildings of this type have smaller units, mostly studio and one-bedrooms with some two-bedroom units. 

Capacity for Housing: 40,500

What do you like about this approach?

What concerns do you have about this approach?