City planning staff introduced a targeted update to the Downtown Bellevue Subarea Plan at the Planning Commission meeting on May 28 as part of the Puget Sound Regional Council’s (PSRC) regional growth center monitoring and redesignation process.

"This is important for the city of Bellevue because there is transportation money that is tied to being designated as a regional center," Planning Manager Kate Ness said, summarizing the practical reason for seeking continued certification.

Staff said the work will update growth-target numbers for housing, population and jobs; refresh outdated references and maps (including ADA-compliant map graphics and transit projects such as Link light rail); and incorporate the comprehensive plan’s community-engagement and equity language. The update is intended to be narrowly focused: council directed staff not to change the downtown’s strategic direction, but to align text, data and maps with current conditions and PSRC criteria.

The downtown plan was last certified in 2020 and PSRC has revised its redesignation criteria under Vision 2050. Staff said the city’s application to PSRC is due the week after the May 28 meeting and that staff will return to the Planning Commission at the next meeting with specific proposed policy edits and a request to set a public hearing in July. The city expects to bundle this comprehensive-plan amendment with other CPAs for fall council adoption.

Commissioners asked about outreach and metrics. Commissioner Lou asked how staff will reach downtown residents (many of whom are renters) and businesses; staff said outreach has focused on downtown businesses and stakeholders through the community and economic development team but that they will provide more targeted awareness materials for residents, property owners and historically underserved groups. Commissioner Richard Perez asked whether the downtown tracking includes jobs based in Bellevue versus workers who commute in; staff noted that employment and commute patterns are tracked by the city demographer but may not be fully reflected in the subarea update.

Staff also flagged several small but important edits: updating references (for example, renaming "Eastside Rail Corridor" or other older project names), updating project status language (moving some projects into past tense where construction is complete), strengthening language on displacement and impacts to historically underserved populations, and adding updated environmental-impact references and tribal history to the plan’s background.

No formal action was taken; staff will return at the next study session with draft policy language and a request to set a hearing. The Planning Commission is expected to consider the proposed changes in summer and fall so the council can act on redesignation and related CPAs this fall.