Planning commission opens hearing on Transportation Master Plan update; hears request to fix split-zoned site at Eighth Avenue NE

The Redmond Planning Commission on May 28 opened the public hearing on the 2025–26 annual comprehensive plan docket to consider a city-initiated Transportation Master Plan update and a privately requested map fix for a split-zoned property at 690180 Eighth Avenue NE.

The TMP amendment, submitted by city staff, would move some Growth Management Act (GMA)–required content from Redmond 2050’s transportation element into an updated Transportation Master Plan to allow more frequent and technical updates, according to Glenn Coyle, senior planner in Redmond’s Planning and Community Development Department. "For this cycle, we have received 1 application, which was submitted by the city. The The proposal is the transportation element and transportation master plan update," Coyle said.

The commission heard two public speakers: Ben Baron, representing the property owner for the site at 690180 Eighth Avenue NE, asked the commission to docket a map correction so the parcel would have a uniform Corridor Mixed Use (CMU) designation rather than split Business Park (BP) and CMU; and resident David Morton urged the commission to docket the TMP update and press staff to address funding, greenhouse‑gas forecasts and accessibility problems flagged in the plan.

The TMP proposal is intended to streamline the transportation element and place technical appendices in the TMP so they can be updated on a quicker cadence, staff materials say. Francesca Liberti of the city’s transportation planning and engineering team told commissioners the update would carry the GMA‑required chapters (streets, transit, bicycle and pedestrian) into the TMP and would add material that is not GMA‑required but useful for ongoing updates. Staff recommended the proposal meet the docket threshold criteria; they said a fuller recommendation to council would be returned by the commission no later than July 1 under the zoning code timetable.

Ben Baron told the commission he represents ownership and that the owners seek a map correction so residential use would be permitted across the entire site. "We are interested in pursuing residential use on the site, which is currently split zone to business park BP and corridor mixed use CMU," Baron said. He asked the commission to "put this map fix on the annual comprehensive plan docket." Staff noted the owner’s email from Rebecca Bloom was submitted the same day and that staff would need time to run the threshold analysis required to evaluate private submissions.

David Morton, a Redmond resident who also spoke during items from the audience, praised the plan’s multimodal goals but warned the commission to address funding and equity gaps. "While the vision is inspiring, its implementation is critical," Morton said, urging commissioners to develop a more robust financing plan, to ensure per‑capita VMT reductions translate into lower total emissions and to remedy that "80% of the city's curb ramps are not compliant with current ADA standards." Morton asked the commission to docket the TMP update so those issues could be addressed through the amendment process.

Commissioners discussed whether to add the private map‑fix request to the docket now. Staff told the commission the code gives the planning commission and city council authority to add items to the docket, but because the application materials and the applicant’s contact arrived the same day, staff asked for time to perform the threshold criteria analysis. Commissioners directed staff to add the item and related questions to an issues matrix, and to return with a threshold‑criteria assessment at the next meeting. There was no formal vote to add the private application to the docket at the May 28 meeting.

The commission closed the verbal portion of the public hearing and left the written record open. Staff said they will bring the TMP materials and the threshold analysis back to the commission on June 11 and aim to complete a recommendation to council by the June 25/July 1 schedule outlined in the Redmond zoning code.