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Corporations and Neighborhoods: Planning in Redmond and Bellevue Washington |
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Jonathan Dong, AICP, Terry Marpert, AICP, Chris Owens and Tim Trohimovich, AICP
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This paper provides a brief background of the transportation and land use planning efforts in Redmond and Bellevue WA that have occurred in response to the rapid growth of industries in the area such as Microsoft. These efforts have tried to address the interaction between Corporate growth and adjacent neighborhoods. This is the topic of the "Corporations and Neighborhoods Mobile Workshop".
The Overlake area of Redmond and Bellevue is home to some of the most successful corporations in the world. The companies in this area have grown rapidly. The region has benefited from the rapid growth in high-paying jobs. For example, a study by Washington state showed the Microsoft Corporation, whose world headquarters and programming center is located in this area, has the highest average salary of any company in Washington state and the highest economic multiplier.
The primary disadvantage has been that the growth has outstripped the capacity of the planned transportation facilities. There have also been some adverse impacts on nearby residential neighborhoods.
In 1996, the cities of Bellevue and Redmond launched an update of a jointly adopted transportation plan for the Overlake area and nearby retail commercial, light industrial and residential areas. Called the Bel-Red/Overlake Transportation Study (BROTS) Update, the purpose of the update was to address the need for additional transportation facilities to accommodate the area's rapid growth.
At the same time, the City of Redmond launched a companion study, the Overlake Neighborhood Plan (ONP). The purpose of the ONP was to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the rapid growth while addressing its disadvantages. The ONP would also prepare growth scenarios that would be used in the BROTS Update to plan the transportation facilities.
The land use growth scenarios were the primary connection between the two studies. The studies used an iterative process, adjusting each study based on the results of the other's analysis.
Both studies had a citizen advisory committee. The BROTS Update committee had an equal number of members appointed by the City Councils of Bellevue and Redmond. The members represented area residents, businesses, and property owners.
The Overlake Neighborhood Plan committee had representatives of the same interests. Although the area covered by the plan is entirely in Redmond, Redmond invited representatives of the City of Bellevue and two Bellevue neighborhoods to participate on the committee.
The BROTS Update examined six different sets of transportation facilities using four different growth scenarios. A consultant team, led by David Evans & Associates, evaluated the facilities using the EMME/2 transportation model and specialized post processors. This evaluation focused on whether the transportation facilities complied with the transportation level of service standards adopted by the two cities. The consultants, city staff, and the committee also analyzed the impacts of the various transportation facilities on residential and commercial neighborhoods and the environment.
The results of each BROTS evaluation were provided to the ONP committee. The ONP committee used the results to revise the development scenarios. In addition to preparing development scenarios, the committee worked with city staff to identify issues and opportunities, develop and evaluate alternatives, and prepare a vision and policies for the neighborhood. The ONP committee also reviewed development regulations prepared by city staff.
The two studies arrived at a development scenario; a total development in Redmond's Overlake Neighborhood of 15.4 million sq. ft. of office, retail, and manufacturing space; and a transportation network that accommodated this development and had acceptable community and environmental impacts. The 15.4 million sq. ft. will be an approximately 3.4 million increase over the existing development in the neighborhood. Floor area ratios, FARs, will be used to limit the amount of development allowed. For most properties, the allowed development will be significantly less than that allowed under current zoning. The policies and regulations also encourage residential and mixed-use development within the retail commercial district of Redmond's Overlake Neighborhood. Housing is encouraged by giving a significant bonus in the allowed FARs for housing. Other incentives, such as pre-reviewing environmental impacts, are included. This will reduce the time needed for environmental review. The ONP also uses transitional zoning, buffers, and policies and regulations on operations to minimize potential adverse impacts on neighboring residential neighborhoods. Development standards for employment uses were updated to fit the building types desired by area land owners and to encourage walking, biking and transit use.
An environmental impact statement (EIS) was then prepared for the BROTS Update and ONP. The Redmond Planning Commission spent almost five months conducting a word by word review of the vision, policies, regulations, and transportation facilities before recommending approval of the two plans. The Bellevue Transportation Commission and the Bellevue Planning Commission are currently reviewing the BROTS Update transportation facilities.
The Bellevue and Redmond City Councils have also met since 1997 to discuss the BROTS Update and the ONP. They worked out a system to share transportation facility costs between the two cities based on the total number of trips from each city using the facilities. The Councils have called for an annual review of the progress on implementing the plans. The City Councils are also considering steps to encourage alternatives to single-occupancy vehicle travel such as walking, biking, carpooling, vanpooling, and transit. The City Councils also focused on encouraging the Washington State Department of Transportation to improve the state highway that serves the area.
Jonathan Dong, AICP
City of Bellevue BROTS Study Manager
Terry Marpert, AICP
City of Redmond BROTS Study Manager
Chris Owens
Microsoft Corporation, Study Participant
Tim Trohimovich, AICP
City of Redmond Overlake Neighborhood Plan Manager