Council Roundup: New vision for Wilburton advances

Published June 28 2024

On Tuesday, the City Council voted unanimously in support of a comprehensive plan amendment that will facilitate the transformation of the west side of Wilburton into a walkable, vibrant, sustainable, mixed-use neighborhood.

The Planning Commission recommended adoption of the amendment, which will be on an upcoming council meeting's agenda for formal action. The amendment sets a vision and updated land use designations for Wilburton's commercial area, long notable for "auto row" along 116th Avenue Northeast.

A new land use map will change the types of development that could occur in the neighborhood. In addition, new policies will allow more development around public transit, the Eastrail and the Grand Connection, encouraging further housing and job opportunities in the area. The boundaries of the Wilburton/Northeast Eighth Street and BelRed subareas will also be amended.

The comprehensive plan amendment is just one component of the Wilburton Vision Implementation initiative, which implements a vision for a trail- and transit-oriented mixed-use community in Wilburton. The city's Comprehensive Plan captures the vision for the future of Bellevue, sets policy that directs city actions and decisions, and guides capital investments such as infrastructure and parks. The plan is currently going through a major update intended to increase housing options and affordability, support the city's diverse communities and economic vitality, and protect the environment.

At this week's meeting, the council also discussed other parts of the Wilburton Vision Implementation initiative including land use code amendments, affordable housing approaches, a framework that prioritizes sustainability and a multimodal transportation network.

The city is gathering community input on the land use code amendment, which will come before the council later this year. See the meeting materialsfor more information.

Note: The July 2 council meeting has been canceled. The next regular council meeting will be on July 9.