Eastside

New apartment buildings like Eastline and Polaris have brought hundreds of units close to Redmond's forthcoming downtown light rail station. On the horizon are even bigger projects.

Redmond's 1993 Downtown Plan led to an urban transformation that saw the construction of over 5,000 new units between 2000 and 2020. This Saturday, light rail arrives to support that urban growth.

The final recommendation from the commission took sixplexes off the table near neighborhood commercial centers and near frequent bus lines. The final decision rests with the Bellevue City Council.

Andrew Villeneuve offers recommendations for Redmond eats, activities, and happenings and invites urbanists to Northwest Progressive Institute's Downtown Redmond Link opening day celebration on May 10.

The changes being considered by the Bellevue Planning Commission right now would go further than the minimum state mandate, allowing up to six units in many more areas and with considerable flexibility.

After considering a full halt on multifamily development, tourist-focused Woodinville is set to add a 10% affordable housing requirement months ahead of a full analysis of potential affordability programs. Whether it's an earnest attempt at boosting affordability or a proxy for a building moratorium is anybody's guess at this point.

A newly adopted vision statement and guiding principles set the stage for future negotiations between Issaquah and Sound Transit over what the city's light rail station will look like and whether it will be surrounded by a parking crater or a vibrant, walkable neighborhood.

The final 4-3 vote represented a victory for the council's progressives, as a debate over addressing past discrimination and improving equity turned into a partisan issue. The reversal was a setback for Newcastle's conservative mayor, Robert Clark.