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Planning commission recommends denial of rezoning at 6901 88th Ave NE; council schedules June 2 action amid SB 6026 concerns
Summary
Staff described a privately‑initiated request to redesignate and rezone a 5.82‑acre parcel at 6901 88th Ave NE to corridor mixed use; the planning commission voted 5–2 to recommend denial to protect limited Business Park land under Redmond 2050, and council agreed to a May 5 committee touchpoint and a June 2 action date as staff studies SB 6026 implications.
City planning staff brought a land‑use and zoning map amendment for 6901 88th Ave NE to the Redmond City Council study session on April 28. The privately‑initiated request would make the parcel’s land‑use designation consistent (citywide mixed use) and rezone the business‑park portion to corridor mixed use.
Senior planner Glenn Coyle summarized the proposal: the site is an undeveloped 5.82‑acre parcel in Southeast Redmond, with about 1 acre already designated mixed use and roughly 4.82 acres designated Business Park; the applicant seeks a single mixed‑use designation so the entire parcel carries consistent zoning.
Planning Commission Chair Susan Weston, who attended to explain the commission’s deliberations, said the commission recommended denial in a 5–2 vote because members wanted to preserve Redmond 2050’s careful balance of land uses and protect limited Business Park acreage that supports local jobs. “We felt protective of that,” Weston said, urging the council to treat land‑use map changes comprehensively rather than by parcel.
Council members raised several lines of inquiry. Some members asked whether the state law SB 6026 — which staff said can limit a city’s ability to exclude residential uses in certain commercial or mixed‑use zones — effectively allows residential development on Business Park land without a local code change. Staff said the city intends to add a 2026–27 plan amendment to study SB 6026 impacts and will bring findings back before any comprehensive policy change; staff reminded the council the city must adopt SB 6026‑compliant regulations by December 2027.
Council members also sought local economic analysis. Staff used proxies (acreage and a previous master plan for nearby Redmond Flex) to estimate employment impacts (one proxy suggested about 58 jobs), but cautioned that job counts depend on the eventual development program and tenant mix.
Timing and next steps: staff said a 21‑day notice requirement means final council action is likely June 2. Council agreed to add a short May 5 Committee of the Whole (Planning & Public Works) touchpoint to allow members to pose last questions before the June action. No formal vote occurred at the study session.
