Bellevue staff preview land‑use work plan and report development‑services improvement progress
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Summary
City staff presented a two‑year land‑use planning work plan (LOOPY/LUPI) and a development‑services update showing permit volumes rising, improved permitting performance, new small‑business support and pilot AI tools to speed reviews. Council praised process improvements and asked for additional data on timelines and small‑business programs.
Bellevue — City planning and development services staff on Feb. 17 walked the City Council through the joint land‑use planning initiatives work plan for 2026–27 and a development‑services continuous improvement update.
Nick Whipple presented the LOOPY work plan, organized into pre‑launch, execution and implementation phases, and flagged priority items that respond to state requirements and council direction: parking reform (Luca), a BelRed land‑use rezone and the housing‑opportunities and mixed‑use area (Houma) amendments that implement the Bellevue 2044 comprehensive plan. Whipple said downtown livability amendments, tree canopy code changes and other docket items will proceed across 2026–27.
Development Services Director Rebecca Horner and team members reported a notable increase in permit applications (spiking above 18,000 in 2025) driven by more residential and tenant‑improvement work. Greg Schrader said the gap between applications and issued permits reflects more projects in review, but staff have improved permit‑timeline performance, meeting established targets over 80% of the time by year end. Jake Kesselgeser described customer‑facing initiatives including a small‑business concierge service (no fee, general‑funded) and a preapproved DADU program intended to speed middle‑housing approvals.
Staff also announced pilot technology projects with Gulfstream AI to provide internal AI assistants for email and chat and tools designed to cut revision cycles and streamline pre‑application inquiries. The department plans to digitize thousands of historic public records using a FEMA grant and to publish a public performance dashboard for permit timelines.
Council members asked for more granular timeline metrics and long‑tail analysis; staff replied that average single‑family permit timelines are about four to six months (including applicant response time) and that consultant contracts have been used to expand review capacity during workload spikes. Several council members praised the department’s progress and supported the proposed 2026–27 continuous improvement work plan.
What’s next: Staff will implement pilot tools and report back; LOOPY and Downtown Livability 2 initiatives will proceed with public engagement per the work plan.
