Committee advances nine consent items including stormwater grants, paths, pavement and ARCH funding

The Planning and Community Development and Public Works Committee of the Whole on March 4 advanced nine administrative and funding items to the March 18 consent agenda, asking council to later formalize grant acceptances, consultant agreements, a code update and an allocation to a regional housing coalition.

The most substantive funding items include acceptance of a $338,603 planning grant from the Washington Department of Ecology to develop a stormwater facility retrofit plan for the High School Creek watershed and a related consultant agreement with Osborne Consulting for $397,169 to produce technical work and 30% designs on top retrofit projects. Deputy Director Chris Stenger said the Ecology funds will be used “to hire a consultant to evaluate and complete preliminary designs for 4 construction projects that will improve performance of existing stormwater management facilities in the High School Creek Watershed.” Senior planner Peter Holt added that the watershed “feeds directly to the Sammamish River, which then feeds to the — is a migratory route for Chinook salmon.” The city will provide a local match of just under $60,000 and staff said the grant expires Jan. 31, 2027; the contract and design schedule include an allowance for closeout paperwork to avoid jeopardizing the award.

On transportation and walking/biking facilities, the committee approved a supplemental agreement (Supplement No. 5) with Pertit Engineering for $111,110 to design a shared-use path connection on Northeast Seventieth, including a new signalized crosswalk to link the path to the light-rail area. Capital Construction Manager Steve Gibbs said the scope adds trail lighting, revised stormwater analysis and updated specifications and that the city will construct the path with its concrete crew.

The committee also advanced two projects on the 150 block corridor: a $1,445,000 grant acceptance and interlocal agreement with WSDOT to obligate federal funds for pavement preservation on Fourth Avenue (Redmond Way to Northeast 185th Street), and a consultant agreement with KPFF for design of the 150 Sixth Avenue shared-use path with a contract not to exceed $900,000. Staff reported the Sixth Avenue project will remove and replace trees as space allows or pay a fee-in-lieu: project materials show approximately 48 street trees and 85 significant trees currently in the project footprint; design will identify replacement locations or mitigation.

Council members pressed for detail in two staff explanations. Councilmember Nueva Camino asked whether the Ecology grant timeline could be tight; Stenger and Holt said Ecology had requested extra time for closeout and the contract timeline includes a buffer. Councilmember Stewart (presiding officer) and others asked Public Works to update proposed sewer-rate language in a municipal-code amendment for middle housing so the code reflects current rates (staff agreed to update 2025–26 numbers before finalizing). The code amendment item is intended to clarify utility connection and billing rules to support middle housing.

Economic development contracts were also advanced. Staff asked the committee to approve $300,000 in contracts for 2025–26 for economic development and small-business services split between OneRedmond and the OneRedmond Foundation (doing business as 1Eastside). Philly Marsh of the city said the separate contracts are intended to create clearer scopes of work and accountability for business retention, recruitment and a small-business advisor program.

On regional housing, the committee moved forward adoption of the ARCH (A Regional Coalition for Housing) 2025–26 budget and work program and a resolution to allocate $1,056,800 from Redmond to ARCH. Ian (staff) said the ARCH allocation will support three developments across Bellevue, Kenmore and Issaquah that together would create 245 affordable units at income levels ranging from 30% to 60% of area median income, and that the ARCH administrative budget includes funding for two new staff positions (a government affairs and communications manager and a local planning special projects advisor).

Two procedural or corrective items were also forwarded: a supplemental agreement on the Northeast Seventieth shared-use-path (described above) and a proposed correction to the Redmond 2050 Transportation Facilities Plan to reinsert six omitted introductory pages required by the Growth Management Act, including revenue forecasts and growth assumptions.

All items were presented for placement on the March 18 consent agenda; no final council votes were recorded in the committee meeting minutes. Staff told the committee they will return to council on March 18 with the full ordinances, contracts and resolutions and will follow up where members requested updated code language or additional design detail.

Ending

The items will return to the council consent calendar on March 18; staff said they will supply revised municipal-code language and additional design/mitigation details for tree replacement where requested before final action.