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Bellevue council renews Old Bellevue interim design controls, adopts Ordinance 69-29
Summary
After a public hearing and public support from neighborhood groups, the Bellevue City Council voted to renew and amend an interim official control for Old Bellevue Main Street (Ordinance 69‑29), adding objective design standards and boosting a facade‑preservation amenity incentive.
The Bellevue City Council on July 14 adopted Ordinance 69‑29, extending and amending an interim official control (IOC) for Old Bellevue's Main Street corridor to preserve small‑scale storefront character while the city develops permanent Downtown Livability 2.0 regulations.
The amended IOC replaces subjective facade‑preservation language with clearer, objective standards and raises the amenity incentive for facade preservation from 40 points to 100 points per $1,000 spent on eligible preservation work, staff said. Nick Whipple, the city's code and policy advisor, told council the IOC would "establish more clear and objective standards" on Main Street between 100th Avenue and Bellevue Way and allow additional time for public outreach and permanent code updates.
Speakers at a required public hearing urged council to adopt the renewal. "Old Bellevue is not just another district on a zoning map," David Bonathan, who said he serves on the Maidenborough Bay Neighbors Association board, told the council, urging adoption to safeguard the district's "character, scale and authenticity." Scott Lampe, MBNA president, said the extension would provide needed time for the downtown livability update and help preserve small retail spaces.
Council members praised staff revisions and stressed the IOC is temporary. Council member Lynn Robinson said the update gave council "the opportunity to discuss preserving the historic character and charm of Old Bellevue" and noted the policy would be refined during the permanent Downtown Livability process. Council member Noreen Breyer asked staff to clarify the regulatory bridge between the IOC and the permanent LUCA work; staff said the IOC would be effective through Feb. 17, 2027, and could be renewed again if needed while permanent regulations advance.
After discussion, a motion to approve Ordinance 69‑29 was moved and seconded, and the council voted in favor; the presiding officer declared the motion carried.
What changes and next steps: the IOC increases objective frontage requirements (for example, main‑street facing entrances and vertical facade elements) intended to retain the smaller storefront rhythm on Main Street; it also replaces the prior facade preservation mandate with a stronger amenity incentive to encourage voluntary preservation. Staff said they intend to continue public outreach and hoped to deliver a planning commission recommendation before the IOC's expiration. The IOC remains temporary and the permanent code adopted through Downtown Livability 2.0 could differ from this interim measure.
The council closed the hearing without further motion on substantive changes; the IOC renewal is effective for the period specified in the ordinance and staff will report back as the downtown code update proceeds.
