Part 20.25A Downtown*
(Effective October 26, 2017 pursuant to Ordinance 6377)
Link to old Part 20.25A, effective prior to October 26, 2017.
20.25A.010 General.
A. Applicability of Part 20.25A LUC.
1. General. (indoor)
This Part 20.25A LUC, Downtown (DT), contains requirements, standards, criteria, and guidelines that apply to development and activity within Downtown Land Use Districts as they are described in subsection B of this section. Except to the extent expressly provided in this Part 20.25A LUC and as referenced in subsection A of this section, the provisions of the Land Use Code, other development codes, the City development standards, and all other applicable codes and ordinances shall apply to development and activities in Downtown.
2. Relationship to Other Regulations. Where there is a conflict between the Downtown Part 20.25A LUC, other provisions of the Land Use Code or the Bellevue City Code, and other City ordinances, the Downtown regulations shall govern.
3. Land Use Code Sections Not Applicable in Downtown. The following sections of the Land Use Code, BCC Title 20, now or as hereafter amended, do not apply in Downtown. Unless specifically listed below, all other sections apply.
a. LUC 20.10.400;
b. LUC 20.10.440;
d. LUC 20.20.030;
g. LUC 20.20.128;
j. LUC 20.20.250;
k. LUC 20.20.400;
l. LUC 20.20.540;
m. LUC 20.20.525;
n. LUC 20.20.560;
B. Organization of Part 20.25A LUC. Organization of Part 20.25A LUC is composed of several regulatory layers that inform development in Downtown.
1. General.
a. Purpose. Downtown Bellevue is the symbolic as well as the functional heart of the Eastside. It is to be developed as an aesthetically attractive area of intense use. Toward this end, the City shall encourage the development of cultural, entertainment, residential, and regional uses located in distinct, mixed-use neighborhoods connected by a variety of unique public places and great public infrastructure. Development should enhance people orientation and facilitate pedestrian circulation, and provide for the needs, activities, and interests of people. The City should encourage land uses that emphasize variety, mixed uses, and unity of form within buildings or complexes. Specific Land Use Districts have been established within Downtown to permit variation in use and development standards in order to implement the objectives of the Downtown Subarea Plan.
b. Location. Downtown refers to the area of the City located generally from I-405 on the east to 100th Avenue NE on the west and from NE 12th Street on the north to approximately Main Street on the south, specifically within the boundaries described as follows:
Beginning at the Northwest corner of the Northwest quarter of Section 32, Township 25 North, Range 5 East, W.M., also being the centerline intersection of NE 8th Street and 100th Avenue NE; thence south along the west line of said Northwest quarter and along the centerline of 100th Avenue NE to the Northwest corner of the Southwest quarter of said Section 32 and the intersection of Main Street; thence south along the west line of said Southwest quarter and the centerline of 100th Avenue SE to a point being 200 feet south of, as measured at right angles to, the north line of said Southwest quarter of Section 32; thence easterly parallel with said north line 215 feet; thence southerly parallel with the west line of said Southwest quarter 90 feet to a point on the north line of Lot 82 of Bellevue Acre and Half Acre Tracts; thence easterly along the north line of Lot 82 to the centerline of Meydenbauer Way SE; thence southwesterly along the arc of the centerline of Meydenbauer Way SE and diverging southerly along the centerline of 101st Avenue SE to a point being the intersection of the centerline with the westerly projection of the south line of Lot 50 of Bellevue Acre and Half Acre Tracts as shown on that certain Condominium (THE FORUM) recorded under V.13, P.47-48 and Amended under V.18, P.8; thence easterly along the south line of Lot 50 to the centerline of 102nd Avenue SE; thence continuing easterly along the south lines of Lots 49 and 14 of Bellevue Acre and Half Acre Tracts to the centerline of 104th Avenue SE; thence northerly along said centerline to a point being the intersection of the centerline with the westerly projection of the south line of Lot 14 of Maxwelton Braes; thence easterly along the south line of Lot 14 to the Southeast corner thereof; thence northerly along the east line of Lot 14 to the Southwest corner of Lot 57 of Maxwelton Braes; thence easterly along the south line of Lot 57 to the centerline of 105th Avenue SE; thence continuing easterly along the south lines of Lots 58 and 101 of Maxwelton Braes to the centerline of 106th Avenue SE, and also being 15 feet westerly of the west line of Lot 2 of Trinwith Addition; thence continuing easterly along the prolongation of the south lines of Lots 58 and 101 of Maxwelton Braes to the centerline of 107th Avenue SE; thence northerly along said centerline to a point being the intersection of the centerline with the westerly projection of the south line of Lot 15 of Trinwith Addition; thence easterly along the south line of Lot 15 to the Southeast thereof; thence southerly to the south line of the North 227.07 feet of the Southwest quarter of said Section 32; thence easterly along said south line to the west line of the East 230 feet of said Southwest quarter; thence northerly along said west line to the south line of the North 176.42 feet of said Southwest quarter; thence easterly along said south line to the east line of the Southwest quarter of said Section 32 also being the centerline of 108th Avenue SE; thence northerly along said centerline to the intersection of 108th Avenue SE and Main Street; thence easterly along the centerline of Main Street to its intersection with the westerly right of way margin of SR 405 as shown on WSDOT Right of Way plan set titled SR 405 S.E. 30TH ST. VIC. TO N.E. 40TH ST. VIC., Sheets 17 through 24, approved and adopted February 11, 2005; thence northerly along said westerly margin to its intersection with the easterly right of way margin of 112th Avenue NE; thence northerly along said easterly right of way margin to its intersection with the westerly right of way margin of SR 405; thence northerly along said westerly margin to its intersection with the centerline intersection of NE 12th Street; thence westerly along the centerline of NE 12th Street to its projected intersection with the west line of the Southwest quarter of Section 29 Township 25 North, Range 5 East, W.M., also being the centerline intersection of 100th Avenue NE; thence south along the west line of said Southwest quarter and along the centerline of 100th Avenue NE to the Point of Beginning, and there ending, all in King County, Washington.
2. Land Use Districts. Each parcel of land in Downtown is classified to determine uses, dimensional requirements (including Floor Area Ratio), and requirements for participation in the Amenity Incentive System. Specific sections of the Downtown code, Part 20.25A LUC, apply to the following Land Use Districts. See Figure 20.25A.060.A.2 for a map of the Downtown Land Use Districts.
a. Downtown-Office 1 (DT-O-1). The purpose of the Downtown-O-1 District is to provide an area for the most intensive business, financial, specialized retail, hotel, entertainment, and urban residential uses. This district is limited in extent in order to provide the level of intensity needed to encourage and facilitate a significant level of transit service. Day and nighttime uses that attract pedestrians are encouraged. All transportation travel modes are encouraged to create links between activities and uses.
b. Downtown-Office 2 (DT-O-2). The purpose of the Downtown-O-2 District is to provide an area for intensive business, financial, retail, hotel, entertainment, institutional, and urban residential uses and to serve as a transition between the more intensive Downtown-O-1 District and the less intensive Downtown-Mixed Use District. The Downtown-O-2 District includes different maximum building heights for areas north of NE 8th Street, east of 110th Avenue NE, and south of NE 4th Street based on proximity to the Downtown Core and access to the regional freeway system and transit, creating the Downtown O-2 Districts North, East, and South (DT-O-2 North, DT-O-2 East, and DT-O-2 South).
c. Downtown-Mixed Use (DT-MU). The purpose of the Downtown-MU District is to provide an area for a wide range of retail, office, residential, and support uses. Multiple uses are encouraged on individual sites, and in individual buildings, as well as broadly in the district as a whole. The Downtown-MU District allows for taller buildings and additional density in the Civic Center portion of the district east of 111th Avenue NE between NE 4th and NE 8th Street based on its proximity to the Downtown Core and convenient access to the regional freeway system and transit. This area is called the Downtown-Mixed Use District – Civic Center (DT-MU Civic Center) while the rest of the district is called the Downtown-Mixed Use District (DT-MU).
d. Downtown-Residential (DT-R). The purpose of the Downtown-R District is to provide an area for predominantly urban residential uses. Limited office and retail uses are permitted as secondary to residential use, in order to provide the amenity of shopping and services within an easy walking distance of residential structures.
e. Downtown-Old Bellevue (DT-OB). The purpose of the Downtown-OB District is to reinforce the character of the Old Bellevue area and assure compatibility of new development with the scale and intensity of the area. The social and historic qualities of this area are to be preserved.
f. Downtown-Office and Limited Business (DT-OLB). The purpose of the Downtown-OLB District is to provide an area for integrated complexes made up of office, residential, and hotel uses, with eating establishments and retail sales secondary to these primary uses. The district abuts and has access to both I-405 and light rail transit service. The Downtown-OLB District differentiates maximum building heights and allowed density for areas north of NE 8th Street, between NE 4th and NE 8th Street, and south of NE 4th Street based on proximity to the Downtown Core and convenient access to the regional freeway system and transit. This creates three districts: Downtown-OLB North, Downtown-OLB Central, and Downtown-OLB South (DT-OLB North, DT-OLB Central, and DT-OLB South).
3. Perimeter Overlays may impose dimensional requirements that differ from the underlying Land Use District regulations to provide an area for lower intensity development that provides a buffer between less intense uses outside Downtown and more intensively developed properties in Downtown. Specific sections of the Downtown code, Part 20.25A LUC, apply to the following Perimeter Overlays. See Figure 20.25A.060.A.3 for a map of the Downtown Perimeter Overlays.
a. Perimeter Overlay A.
A-1
A-2
A-3
b. Perimeter Overlay B.
B-1
B-2
B-3
4. Neighborhoods are a key organizing principle to implement the Great Place Strategy of the Downtown Subarea Plan. Neighborhoods create a series of distinct, mixed-use areas within Downtown that reinforce their locational assets and unique identities. More information can be found in the Downtown Subarea Plan of the Comprehensive Plan.
a. Northwest Village;
b. City Center North;
c. Ashwood;
d. Eastside Center (including Bellevue Square, City Center, and Convention Civic);
e. Old Bellevue;
f. City Center South;
g. East Main.
5. Right-of-Way Designations. The right-of-way designations provide design guidelines for Downtown streets that are organized by streetscape type. These designations are a representation of the Downtown vision for the future, rather than what currently exists. The designations create a hierarchy of rights-of-way reflecting the intensity of pedestrian activity. The “A” rights-of-way have the highest amount of pedestrian activity, while the “D” rights-of-way have a smaller amount of pedestrian activity. These guidelines are intended to provide activity, enclosure, and protection on the sidewalk for the pedestrian. See Figure 20.25A.170.B for a map of the right-of-way designations.
a. “A” Rights-of-Way – Grand Connection/High Streets.
b. “B” Rights-of-Way – Commercial Streets.
c. “C” Rights-of-Way – Mixed Streets.
d. “D” Rights-of-Way – Neighborhood Streets.
e. “E” Rights-of-Way – Perimeter Streets.
6. Grand Connection. An alignment that is generally for exclusive pedestrian use providing a reasonably direct but interesting pedestrian route beginning at the intersection of NE 6th Street and 110th Avenue NE, extending to the intersection of NE 6th Street and Bellevue Way NE, and terminating at the intersection of 100th Avenue NE and Main Street. (Ord. 6643, 1-24-22, § 4; Ord. 6580, 6-21-21, § 1; Ord. 6425, 10-1-18, § 11; Ord. 6377, 10-16-17, § 2)