Pursuant to its meeting at the beginning of the month in which the Bellevue Planning and Zoning Commission voted to recommend the creation of a new Light Industrial/Business (LIB) zoning district to the City Council, commission members continued to implement parts of the city's comprehensive plan.
At their regular meeting on Thursday, July 19, commissioners voted to recommend amending the city's zoning map by establishing a greenbelt and recreation district.
Planning and Zoning Administrator Craig Eckles said the purpose of the district will be to provide areas for recreational activities, non-vehicular transportation improvements, and to create and preserve open space areas for public use and the maintenance of the character of the community.
Commissioners Kathryn Goldman and Todd Mabbutt requested that Eckles and City Attorney Jim Phillips ensure enough flexibility in the language of the ordinance in order not to "pigeonhole" park spaces. Goldman gave an example in which very strict language could lead to a situation in which a developer would have to include a feature, such as a covered shelter, in an area where it's not appropriate.
The commission also discussed an amendment of the city's subdivision ordinance that would require the developer of a subdivision to dedicate a parcel of land to the city for the purpose of providing a park or cultural space open to the public. For non-residential or light-industrial developers, an in-lieu fee would be required if on-site park space were deemed inappropriate.
Robin Sellers, chair of the Bellevue Parks and Recreation Committee, said the city has less than half of the amount of active parks recommended by National Recreation and Park Association. As a remedy, the parks master plan requires 12 acres of active park space for every 1,000 residents instead of the recommended 10 acres.
And while the ordinance should help achieve this goal, Eckles said that before the ordinance could be put in place he and Sellers would need to calculate an appropriate formula so that Bellevue doesn't place so heavy a burden on developers that they choose to build somewhere else.
This latter ordinance was tabled until Thursday, Aug. 2, when the public hearing will be continued, thus giving developers the chance to voice their opinions.
