What A.I. Says About Redmond Blog

City of Redmond Neighborhoods, February 2026 

 "The Redmond Neighborhood Blog is generally considered a valuable, long-standing resource for hyper-local news, though whether it is "good" depends on what you are looking for—objective reporting or community advocacy. 

Strengths & Content Focus

• Hyper-Local Expertise: The blog has been active for nearly two decades (since at least 2007) and provides deep dives into topics often overlooked by larger outlets, such as city council decisions, land use policies, and local school district levies.
• Active Advocacy: The site's primary author, Bob Yoder, explicitly describes the blog as an "advocate" and "trouble-maker" intended to bring balance and accountability to local government.
• Niche Investigative Reporting: It frequently covers environmental concerns, such as potential aquifer contamination, and tracks the impacts of rapid development on Redmond's "soul" and affordability. 

Things to Consider

• Opinion-Driven Tone: Many posts are written from a specific viewpoint, focusing on "watching" the city administration and critiquing rising costs of living and property taxes.
• Format: As a Blogger-hosted site, it has a traditional, text-heavy layout that may feel less modern than newer media platforms.
• Community Presence: It maintains an active Facebook Group (Friends of Redmond Neighborhood Blog) where residents can discuss local issues directly. 
• Comparison to Other Sources

Source	Best For
Redmond Neighborhood Blog	Deep-dive civic analysis and critical community advocacy
Experience Redmond	Tourism, events, and highlighting local businesses
City of Redmond News	Official government announcements and public meeting notices
Move Redmond	News specifically about transit, biking, and urban walkability

A Call For Action To Test Industrial District For Toxic Chemicals

Filthy stormwater treatment pond at All Wood Recycling 60 feet
from salmon-bearing Evans Creek. B. Yoder/2006

The Following is Dr. David Morton's public comment to the Planning Commission for "Items from the Audience."  David Morton, PhD is a Redmond resident who regularly speaks at government meetings about ways to improve our environment.  

I’d like to discuss a critical land use issue that affects Redmond's drinking water aquifer, and may cause PFAS contamination in Wells 1 and 2. PFAS is a man-made toxic chemical that never breaks down. It once was used to manufacture firefighting foam.   

Last week, I testified before City Council about PFOS levels exceeding EPA's 4 ppt standard in these wells. Tonight, I want to focus on the land use aspect of this problem—specifically, the Evans Creek Relocation Project and the DTG Recycle site, formerly All Wood Recycling.

The DTG site sits within Redmond’s Critical Aquifer Recharge Area I (where groundwater contamination can reach municipal supply wells in under five years. In August 2013, a massive fire at All Wood Recycling required multi-day firefighting efforts. (See here, here, here, and here.) A former Redmond Natural Resources Manager informed the City Council that firefighting foam was used to extinguish that blaze and that about 1900 fish in Evans Creek were killed. *

The concern is straightforward: the foam likely contained PFAS, and those "forever chemicals" may have infiltrated Redmond’s aquifer. Bob Yoder's research suggests additional historic contamination sources at this industrial site—oil spills into Evans Creek, failing detention ponds, and septic systems that may have channeled PFAS-contaminated water underground.

Here's the land use policy problem: the Evans Creek Relocation Project will disturb soil on the DTG property. When the Department of Ecology sampled soil there in 2022, they did not test for PFAS. This is a significant gap in the environmental review process, especially given the site's MTCA contaminated cleanup status and location in Redmond’s CARA I (see the image below).

Since the Planning Commission advises the Mayor and City Council on land use policies, I urge you to recommend that the City require PFAS testing at the DTG site before any ground disturbance occurs. Identifying and remediating contamination sources is essential to prevent ongoing pollution of Redmond's drinking water.

With a 2029 EPA compliance deadline and costs for treatment of Wells 1 & 2 potentially in the tens of millions, Redmond cannot afford to overlook potential contamination sources in its CARAs. Sound land use policy demands testing before digging.

I ask that you advise Council to strengthen Redmond’s critical area protections by requiring PFAS assessment before approving projects in CARA zones, particularly on properties with known environmental violations or firefighting foam use.

* See the archived video of the Aug. 27, 2013, City Council Study Session beginning at 1:30:12. The comments about the fish kill and the firefighting foam use begin at 1:31:47.

-- David Morton, PhD, 2/11/2026

Redmond Code Enforcement Officers

If you have concerns to report like campaign sign placement, commercial signs, and tree removal, please use this link.  Request for Service - Redmond, WA 

­Elena McKee Code Enforcement Officer, City of Redmond
425-448-0964  (cell phone)  425-556-2412 (land line)  emckee@redmond.gov (email)   The Code Enforcement system is used to report non-emergency concerns and is only monitored during City business hours. Our Code Enforcement Team addresses concerns regarding potential code violations on private property like tree removal.  We collaborate with other City departments and Redmond residents to develop and implement solutions for issues related to health and safety codes in our community. Our primary goal is to inform and educate you while promoting voluntary compliance. Please note that the City does not intervene in civil disputes, such as disagreements over property lines, hazardous trees on neighboring properties, or tenant-landlord issues. Please include the following information: Detailed description of the concern Complete details of the location Your contact information Please note this request system is public domain. Any correspondence from, to, or contained in this system is a public record. Accordingly, this request, in whole or in part, may be subject to disclosure pursuant to RCW 42.56, regardless of any claim of confidentiality or privilege asserted by an external party. -- Redmond.gov  6/30/2025

Letter to the Editor: City Council Deprived Peoples' Rights On Homeless Decision

The Washington Constitution states, “All political power is inherent in the people, and governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, and are established to protect and maintain individual rights.” 

When the Redmond City Council, deprived people of their rights to give input and rushed to give away public land to Plymouth Housing for developing a low-barrier homeless building in downtown Redmond, they failed to comply with the Washington Constitution.

Facts about the Plymouth homeless building in downtown Redmond:

• Located across the street from Anderson Park, only 0.5 miles from Redmond Elementary School;
• This is a 6-story, 100-unit, single adult only homeless building;
• No drug testing will be conducted. Drugs will be allowed in the building;
• Other than lifetime registered sex offenders, all other sex offenders are eligible;
• Other than meth producers who were convicted in the past 5 years, all other drug producers and drug dealers are eligible;
• The city made falsely claim and secretly plans to limit eligibility to people with disabilities. According to state law and the common practices of the state, county, and city, mental illness and substance use disorder are all considered disabilities. The city and Plymouth Housing want to secretly limit eligibility for this building to people with mental illness and drug addiction ;
• Homeless people from outside of Redmond are eligible;
• The City of Kenmore started this project via RFP in 2022 and rejected it in 2024 after three public hearings. The City of Redmond approved this project in 7 days with no public input period at all;
• The city is now withholding critical information and refuse to hold any public hearings;
• We, the people, must remind elected officials that they are elected by the people and for the people.

Safe Eastside

Posted by Yoder, 10/23/2024

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Downtown Plymouth Homeless Project A Ticking Time Bomb

I want to share my thoughts regarding the Plymouth Housing project for chronic homeless in downtown Redmond and the city council’s actions to discourage public comments.

The Redmond City Council rushed and acted recklessly when they decided to award the expensive public land and high-impact project to Plymouth Housing after less than one hour of discussion (a 30-minute behind closed doors executive meeting on February 6th, and a 30-minute special meeting on February 13th). Basic questions asked by the Kenmore City Council, such as those regarding “set aside” for local placements, “low barrier” and public safety, compliance, tenant screening, and Plymouth’s application process, etc. were never asked by the Redmond City Council.

Plymouth Housing’s troubled reputation: The recent overdose death of Mike Matzick inside the Plymouth Housing run Scargo and Lewiston Apartments in Belltown. Mike “had been deceased for three days when he was discovered.” The lived experience at the Plymouth Housing run Pat Williams Apartments in South Lake Union that “newcomers who move in & WANT to become or stay clean and sober” “get preyed on by the toxic residents.” 

Additionally, the concerning 911 call records at the Plymouth Crossing in Bellevue show incidents of death, VUCSA, disturbances (including harassment), behavioral health issues, assault, fire, indecent exposure, etc. Yet, the city council rejected the proposal to go through an open RFP to select the best qualified operator. Led by Council 

President Kritzer and Planning Director Helland, they openly misled the public on this project both in council meetings and through communications and set up barriers to prevent the public from getting critical information in a timely manner. Many questions remain unanswered. They want to quietly move forward to avoid public scrutiny.

Led by Council President Kritzer, the Redmond City Council has refused to allow public input. No public comments were allowed before the council cast their votes. Despite the public’s repeated requests, the City Council refused to hold any public hearings or two-way dialogue meetings.The public was left with no choice but to attend council meetings and raise their concerns during public comment time. The Redmond City Council later voted to curb public comment during council meetings on May 7th.

The Redmond City Council has been completely ignoring the public’s safety, drug use, and drug trafficking concerns. What is happening in Factoria, where the Plymouth Crossing is located, is a clear warning. A local developer told the city, “The landscaping around his Eastgate location has been damaged over the last 8 months, people doing drugs, police called daily.” Yet, the Redmond City Council continues to turn a deaf ear to those concerns and pat each other on the back for being the heroes and picking up the project that the City of Kenmore deemed would hurt its community and denied. 

The skimping on parking space at the Plymouth Housing building in order to “be as cost-effective as possible” under the guise of being “green” will worsen the already challenging parking situation in downtown Redmond near the Anderson Park area. By Redmond zoning code, Plymouth Housing is required to build 120 parking spaces for the 100-unit building. Yet, Plymouth Housing is asking for “NO RESIDENTIAL PARKING BE PROVIDED” and “A REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF REQUIRED PARKING STALLS.” This is absurd! 

In comparison, the King County-owned and Salvation Army-operated Redmond Silver Cloud has 140 parking spaces for its 100 units, and its Safety and Security Plan states, “Residents are prohibited from parking along the street or in other areas alongside the HTH Redmond facility.”

The Plymouth Housing project to house 100 chronic homeless in downtown Redmond is a ticking time bomb.  I'm counting on State Representative Amy Walen and our leaders to help save our city from turning into Seattle. 

KATHY LAMBERT

Redmond, WA.  

July 31, 2024

8-story Project Will Prod Seniors From Their Homes

8-story project site and Land Use "invitation to comment," credit Yoder

It's been decided, by the city Director of Planning & Community Development (also ARCH Chair,) that 24 Seniors will have to be relocated somewhere to make room for a novel 8-story apartment building.  

Downtown land is at a premium and owners are cashing in any way they can.    

Relocating small businesses for Big Growth hurts.  Prodding Seniors out of their homes is worse. Hopefully, not one of these vulnerable Seniors will need temporary shelter.  

I called Lauren Anderson, the city project planner for verification on the number of Seniors; to date no response.  

 --Bob Yoder, opinion

   3/27/2024

UPDATED 4/16/2024: Plymouth Homeless Housing FAQ

  

Plymouth Homeless Housing in Redmond FAQ

The building will contain 100 units for homless residents with ground floor office space, commercial space, and amenity areas. 

History and Background

In alignment with Redmond’s Housing Action Plan, the transfer of publicly owned property to Plymouth Housing for development of a 100-unit Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) housing project in Downtown was approved by the Redmond City Council on Feb. 13, 2024. The City is committed to increasing the overall supply, variety, and affordability of housing to achieve desired livability and equity outcomes in Redmond.     

The building will be located at 16725 Cleveland Street. It will not be a safe injection site and will not be an overnight shelter, but will serve as Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH). It will provide homes to extremely low-income adults who are exiting homelessness and are eligible for PSH.

The building will contain 100 units total with ground floor office space, commercial space, and outdoor amenity areas. 

Redmond code requires a robust community engagement process for Permanent Supportive Housing projects. During the special meeting on Feb. 13, 2024, Plymouth representatives underscored that they are willing and able to comply with code requirements. 

View a video of the special meeting.

Plymouth Housing in Redmond FAQ

BUILDING INFORMATION AND BACKGROUND  

Where will the housing be located?
16725 Cleveland Street. This housing will be in Downtown Redmond, close to the light rail stop. 

Who will live there? 
Single adults exiting homelessness and living on extremely low incomes would be eligible for the proposed Plymouth PSH project. Many of these individuals are seniors, veterans, and/or people living with disabilities. The income criteria is set at 30% or below Area Median Income (AMI), which means an individual is earning less than $28,800/year. Lifetime registered sex offenders and individuals with certain past drug-related convictions will not be eligible for this housing. 

What services will be on-site?  
Permanent Supportive Housing means in addition to housing, residents have access to a range of onsite services designed to help them achieve stability in their new home, including personalized housing case management services, veterans counseling, health care, 24/7 staffing, and other critical services. The PSH model is unique because the 0 - 30% AMI housing is paired with services designed to support people living with complex and disabling health conditions. Proximity to the Downtown Redmond light rail station will also help residents with their transportation needs.

Is this a homeless shelter?  
No, this is Permanent Supportive Housing for single adults. There is an application process for prospective residents, which includes determination of eligibility for the project. After individuals are approved and move in, they will no longer be considered homeless. Residents are responsible for abiding by their lease agreement and building rules, while also having access to onsite support services.  

How big is the building?  
The building will contain 100 units total for residents with ground floor office space, commercial space, and amenity areas. 

What about parking?  
Parking is limited at this site. Most Plymouth residents do not own a vehicle. Proximity of this site to the Downtown Redmond light rail station will offer robust transit options to future residents and help the City achieve its Environmental Sustainability Action Plan goals for reduced vehicle emissions and vehicle miles traveled.

Who will operate the building? 
Plymouth Housing will provide property management and wraparound supportive services at the building. 

How many people will be housed at this location?  
Plymouth Housing projects primarily serve single adults. However, as a landlord, Plymouth is required to abide by occupancy standards and fair housing law, which in rare cases requires them to house couples if both individuals qualify for the building. The design in the current Plymouth proposal contains 85 studios and 15 one bedrooms. We expect that the new design will reflect a similar unit mix.

Will the building have 24/7 staffing? 
Yes, Plymouth Housing will provide 24/7 staffing and support for residents. 

When will the building open for occupancy? 
There is not a specific timeline for construction yet. However, the goal is to break ground in 2025. Typically, it takes about two years of construction prior to opening for operations. 

What is the City of Redmond's role in the building? 
The City of Redmond is the host city for the Plymouth PSH project. Plymouth will be required to apply for and obtain permits necessary to construct the project. In addition, the City will be coordinating with Plymouth to ensure that the necessary agreements and terms set forth in Redmond Zoning Code requirements applicable to PSH are met. Among other things, an operational agreement, program rules and/or code of conduct, safety and security plan, community relations plan, and parking management plan will all be required. The City will partner with Plymouth to develop necessary policies, procedures, and plans.

When did the City Council first learn about this project? 
The City Council first learned about this project in February 2023 when the funding recommendation from A Regional Coalition for Housing (ARCH) was presented to them for approval. The Council unanimously approved the Redmond ARCH Housing Trust Fund contribution on March 21, 2023, for its original location in Kenmore.  Applications for Redmond Housing Trust Fund dollars are submitted to ARCH where they are vetted by a Community Advisory Board (CAB) that makes a recommendation to the ARCH Executive Board.  The ARCH Executive Board concurred in the CAB recommendation and transmitted the recommendation to ARCH member jurisdictions for City Council approval. 

In 2020, the City also completed a Housing Needs Assessment, which informed the Housing Action Plan, both of which were approved in early 2021. Different scenarios were considered, and at the time Council directed staff to pursue the “Housing Equity Scenario,” outlined on page 20 of the Housing Action Plan.

Why is this being built in Redmond?  
Washington state is experiencing a housing crisis. Cities across King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties are diversifying their housing inventory in accordance with Washington State Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 1220. Redmond leaders, including the Mayor and City Council, have declared affordable housing a top priority and specifically included a prioritization for the development of affordable housing close to transit. King County Countywide Planning Policies have established housing targets for cities to accommodate anticipated future growth in the next 20 years. The housing needed for Redmond has been estimated across all income levels and includes anticipated demand for PSH. Every unit of added PSH helps to address the identified need and improve the lives of people who currently do not have access to safe and dignified places to live.

The City Council recognizes that Redmond lacks sufficient affordable housing, especially where the need is greatest in the 0-50% AMI range. 

New projections estimate by 2044, the City of Redmond needs nearly 24,000 units of affordable housing. Redmond is a high-cost area with an AMI of $137,000 per year.

UPDATED 1/29/24: Pearce PRD Deforestation Rivals the Devastation of Group Health's Tree Habitat

A Bobcat's "last stand" in Sigmund and Werner's backyard / credit Sigmund

In 2007, I made two trips to Sigmund and Werner's house to commiserate with them about their severe loss of a forest bordering their property.   Losing a neighborhood forest and it's wildlife is close to losing and mourning the loss of a dear friend. It hurts and it takes time. I know this from the Education Hill Perrigo Heights clear-cut. Sigmonde showed their pictures and I listened. She took me on hurried walk through the forest before the clear-cut. It was all over in just a few days.

The photograph of this urban Bobcat was taken by Werner & Sigmund. Their home borders on a North Redmond 18-acre forest.  Over 300 mature trees were cleared for 76 single-family homes with lot sizes ***4000 - 22,000 SF, according city documents. The project (178th Ct. NE & NE 116th St.) is known as "Pearce PRD" and is one of many environmentally sensitive projects in Redmond developed by Eric Campbell's Camwest Development, Inc. of Kirkland, WA.

According to a "Wildlife Study Report" filed by wetland , wildlife, and forest consultant Chad Armour, LLC on January 20, 2007 "the site may have the potential to support as many as 68 different species of wildlife". Sigmund has also observed coyotes and deer in her backyard and there have been neighborhood reports of *black bear. Where will they go?

Camwest paid an arborist for a tree preservation plan required by city permit. The arborist reported that 294 significant trees were clear-cut. That's 54% of the 489 significant trees on the project. 39 Landmark trees were presumed removed.  Landmark trees are supposed to get special protections. (see Councilwoman Kim Allen's statement, below).

Chad Armour made two brief site visits. Among Mr. Armour's qualifications, he is a "certified wetland delineator" and has a certificate in commercial real estate. He was hired by Camwest to write environmental reports for the city land use permit. 

Mr. Armour reported: nine wetlands and 20 State Priority habitat tree snags, ideal for Pileated Woodpecker nesting. He identified a foraging P. Woodpecker, and a Great Blue Heron "in the vicinity". The Great Blue Heron is valued by the State and Redmond as a Priority Species of Local Importance. Nesting P. Woodpeckers are potentially endangered and have protections when nests are present. I was told by a resident Armour spent only several hours during each of his two visits to the site.

Mr. Armour stated a heron rookery is located about one mile SE of the site. City planner Cathy Beam indicated months ago these eastern rookery nests were vacated. Mr. Armour also noted a stream map indicating coho salmon migrate to within a few hundred feet of the project site. A tributary to Bear Creek and two ponds are present.   

Obviously, significant and devastating deforestation of  "urban open space" has occurred. Habitat destruction was far more extensive than Camwest's Tyler's Creek and Perrigo Heights developments. Fortunately, Camwest does a good job restoring and enhancing their streams, wetlands, and forest buffers. However, according to the neighbors, the development will be setback only 20 feet from their properties and exposed neighborhood trees will be endangered by resultant high winds.

Councilwoman Kim Allen is to be commended for speaking up for the neighborhood during Werner's Landmark Tree Exception appeal. Councilman Richard Cole appeared insensitive during reconsideration of the Landmark Tree appeal stating Werner was slowing down the project. Ms. Allen is a qualified lawyer and is a strong council advocate for "green" protections and standards. ** Ms. Allen's statement urging amendments to city tree preservation standards are below. The city is holding a Community Meeting on Thursday, 7/28 to ask for ideas on how to improve Residential Development permitting. Contact Jeff Churchill for more information by emailing: jchurchill@redmond.gov.

*** The City Neighborhood Map and Notice of Application quote different lot size ranges.

**'Councilmember Allen read a written request to the staff as follows, 'Tree retention is an expressed value of the citizens of Redmond articulated in the Comprehensive Plan, Neighborhood Plans, and community meetings. Redmond’s tree retention law reflects that a detailed and thoughtful analysis by the Administrator of what should be a detailed and written account of extraordinary circumstances is required to justify the felling of any landmark tree or drastically reducing our declining canopy. In this case there is no record of that detailed analysis by staff which does both the staff and the citizens a disservice. Our Code Administrators should begin to provide a written and detailed analysis of their reasoning on all of these exceptions to our Tree Retention Ordinance and that the code should be amended to provide notice to adjacent property owners when such a request is made.' - contributed by Werner

###

QUESTIONS:  Was off-site mitigation required?  It not, how where were they replaced? PRD' appeals are Quasi-Judicial. Was there adequate notice?  Tom Hinman, a respected planning commissioner, influenced the city years later to map significant and landmark trees on the Notice of Application. Why did it take so long?   In 2022, Tree Regulations were updated to protect/preserve Redmond's remaining trees on private properties.  It's 2024 and the updated tree regulations still haven't been implemented owing to legal issues Kirkland is facing. No comment.   

Opinion and report by Bob Yoder, ~ 2007, updated 1/29/2024  

Additional "land use" articles are found using the blog search engine.

UPDATED: Second 8-Story Building Planned for 80th & Leary

Excellent project!    Design Review Board 1 Presentation  Listen to the presentation!

Councilmember Vanessa Kritzer has been a strong advocate for more day-care space in Redmond. The Design Review Board reported day-care space is planned for this project!  Massing of the prominent Redmond Grand apartments on 166th and Redmond way is terrible.  This particular project (west & adjacent to the 8-story "Arco" project) has very creative architecture helping to reduce the massing affect.  Harvey Fairbourne, the new owner of RTC could learn from this exciting new project.

16310 NE 80th ST (& Leary) is a new proposed 85’ tall, 1.18 acre residential apartment building located on 80th Street in downtown Redmond, WA. It is comprised of 8 floors above grade, one level below grade totaling 347,713 sf with 260 parking spaces and 270 residential units. It includes a 5-story wood-framed residential tower above a 3-story concrete podium. Ground level uses include residential lobby/lounge, units and indoor open space that serves the neighborhood, as well as residents. 

Atmospheric River Flooding Event in Redmond, 12/5/2023

The December 4-7, 2023 atmospheric river dumped almost four inches of rain at SEA-TAC.  Peak rainfall was 1.83 inches on December 5th and 2.07 inches on December 6th.  

This video was taken just north and east of the Redmond Safeway store.  The city closes the trail during floods. The Avondale Bridge crosses Bear Creek upstream.  The bridge is a good location foe salmon watching. Deer have been seen in the riparian behind Safeway. It's also a hangout for homeless neighbors.  

This photo shows flooding south of Redmond Way behind Overlake Urgent Care.  Bear Creek is barely be seen in the distance, where the rusty bike/ped bridge ends. In preparation for light rail, the creek channel had to be altered, restored and the riparian was enhanced with tiny trees and shrubs.  White irrigation pipes were installed for the summers.  A video of flood plain activity is here.  

White pipes irrigate tiny shrubs of the Bear Creek floodplain 

 - Bob Yoder, 12/9/2023

"Bear Creek" posts from the blog search engine.

"Trees" posts 

"Land Use" posts 

"Opinion" posts 

UPDATED: Kirkland's "Urban Plaza" Glass Buildings

Kirkland's Urban Plaza - a similar 6-story building is across from a "living street" / Credit Bob Yoder

                                                          

I had an eye examination today in Kirkland.  My wonderful optometrist moved from Redmond Town Center to Kirkland's Urban Plaza and wow! ...that retail - apartment - commercial center is a beauty! 

Check out this 6-story mixed-use building and it's architecture. See the use of glass for the façade?  I'm sending this photo to the new Redmond Town Center owner asking him to seriously consider glass materials.  The owner, Fairbourne, is building two 12-story buildings; I hope he will build with innovative materials and architecture.  Residents crave a creative, sparkling downtown building that will make us proud to live here.  

I've been told Google owns all the Urban Plaza land.  A local office is on-site.  Of course, they have deep pockets and can afford architecture that looks great.  It makes me wonder why the city couldn't broker a deal between Microsoft and the previous RTC owner. What a huge opportunity. Well, we have Fairbourne instead.  They're supposed to be a premier retail developer.  Let's hope they know how to design outstanding buildings as well.    

 -- opinion/photo, Bob Yoder, 9/4/2023