Final City Budget Hearing November 20

REDMOND, WA – The City of Redmond will host the third public hearing for the 2019-2020 Biennial Budget on Tuesday, November 20, 2018, at 7:30 p.m. The hearing will take place at Redmond City Hall, 15670 NE 85^th Street, during the regular City Council meeting. The goal of the public hearing is to gather community input about City issues, priorities and fiscal matters before the final budget is adopted on December 4, 2018.

My input was e-mailed to Council and posted in a Letter to the Editor of the Redmond Reporter.  I hope this is message enough and they will forgo their 1% property tax.

Downtown 6-story "Redmond Flats" approved

APPROVAL
LAND-2018-00279, Redmond Way Flats
Neighborhood:  Downtown 

Description:  Demolition of existing commercial building & parking lot; construction of a six story +/- 129,000 sf residential building with approximately 102 apartment units; +/- 2,700 sf of commercial space and parking for +/- 101 vehicles
Location:  16760 Redmond Way
Applicant:  Bryan Bellissimo with Encore Architects
Prior Review Dates:  04/19/18, 06/21/18 & 08/16/18
Staff Contact:  Gary Lee, 425-556-2418 or glee@redmond.gov 
Review Materials:  Memo   Checklist   Materials   Architectural   Landscaping   

The 102 residential units will front 168th Av. NE;  the 2,700 sf commercial space will front Redmond Way.  

The site is located in the Anderson Park zoning district within the Downtown neighborhood. The intent of this district is to encourage higher intensity, mixed-use, multi-story, developments that include ground floor commercial space fronting on Redmond Way, 168th Avenue NE, and NE 80 th Street. It is envisioned that new development in this district be 5- to 6- stories tall and include retail, office, and residential uses. The quieter streets of 168th Avenue NE and NE 80th Streets could include ground floor live-work units or ground floor residential units with raised stoops facing the streets.

Source:  Design Review 

8-story Overlake project in planning stages

PRE-APPLICATION
LAND-2018-01083, Modera Overlake
Neighborhood:  Overlake
Description:  New multi-family residential building with 246 units and 
associated leasing office, resident amenity areas, parking and exterior courtyard 
Location:  15260 & 15248 Bel-Red Road
Applicant:  Darrell Turner with GGLO 
Staff Contact:  Scott Reynolds, 425-556-2409, sreynolds@redmond.gov
Review Materials:  Memo     Materials

"Modera Ovelake" is under review by the Design Review Board.  The building will 8 stories tall with 2 stories of parking below grade and two stories above.  The project is mixed-use with 178 residential units and 4,000 s,f, commercial.  The project is on 1.41 acres, bound by Bell-Red Road to the east and south and NE 121st to the north.

Approval of this project is in the Pre-Application stage.  Color is one of the aspects of this building under review.  Contact Scott Reynolds with your comments.

Source:  Design Review Board agenda 

Redmond Police and Mental Health

Redmond Police Department Adding New Embedded Mental Health Provider 

Internet

The Redmond Police Department has added an embedded mental health provider to respond to calls involving mental health issues and provide resources to individuals in the community facing mental health challenges. The Police Department was awarded a grant from the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs that will fund this temporary position.

EvergreenHealth Puts $325 Million Bond Measure On The April Ballot

King County Public Hospital District No.2 (EvergreenHealth) will ask district residents and families to approve $325,000,000 for 1) an extensive seismic retrofit, 2) a family maternity care refresh, 3) relocation of the Critical Care Unit with enhancements to the Silver Tower 4) office buildings and 5) IT.  The bulk of the bond will go towards the seismic retrofit.

Regarding the seismic retrofits Laurene Burtonm the hospital's Executive Director of Community Affairs said:

"Our goal is to not just be safe, but to be available when the region needs us most and be open and ready to care immediately for patients in our community and beyond, in the event of a catastrophic earthquake." 

"In 2004 when we went to the voters to build the Emergency Department safety was paramount. We have been good stewards of your tax dollars.  Through these seismic upgrades, we will provide the safest environment for our entire community from our tiniest babies to those in critical care."

The Board of Commissioners decided not to include a behavioral health clinic in their bond ask.  

For details about the UTGO bond "read more."

UPDATED: Looming taxes continue to burden property owners

In the City Council's committee meeting on 10/23 Melisa Files, Director of Finance reported:

1)  Revenues were up by 5% of target and
2)  Expenditures were 4% below target

So "we are in a nice place to be" says Ms. Files.

Yes we are, many thanks to the "surge in permitting fees" from development and a "one-time construction tax," according to Files. 

Historically, the City has assessed  property owners the State's maximum allowable 1% property tax.  But times have changed and the City is swimming in revenue like never before from the massive development of our Downtown and Overlake urban centers.

Owing to this unprecedented growth the City of Redmond should change their practices and forgo the 1% property tax this year.  Residents are already burdened by looming school district taxes and in April, an EvergreenHealth $300M bond initiative, among other taxes.

It's time the City tightens their belt.

-- Bob Yoder, Opinion

Sources:  City Council Committee of the Whole meeting.
                EvergreenHealth commission meetings
                Landscape       

Redmond Historical Society announces November Speaker program

The Redmond Historical Society Saturday Speaker Series is pleased to announce its November program: 

Saturday, November 10, 2018

Washington at War: The Evergreen State in World War I

Redmond Historical Society Saturday Speaker Series

Redmond Senior Center

8703 160^th Ave NE, Redmond WA 98052

$5 suggested donation for non-members

Speakers are subject to change.

For details: www.redmondhistoricalsociety.org       

The city and residents partner with PSE to reduce CO-2 emissions

Residents can enroll in PSE's Green Power program and with an additional $10 payment on their electrical bill can reduce 12,420 pounds of CO-2 emissions annually to 231 pounds per year.  

Redmond, WA – The City of Redmond is partnering with Puget Sound Energy to purchase 100 percent of its electricity for government operations from dedicated, local, renewable energy resources. Green Direct, PSE’s innovative renewable energy product for governments and commercial entities, consists of a combination of wind and solar.

Redmond is joining Green Direct in its second phase. Phase one included a new wind project in Western Washington and was fully subscribed in 2017. Phase two will include a new solar project in south-central Washington, which is expected to be completed in 2021.

By subscribing to Green Direct, the City of Redmond is taking an essential step in reducing its carbon footprint and meeting the goals of its Climate Action Plan. The City of Redmond’s Comprehensive Plan and Climate Action Plan make clear that the City of Redmond is committed to addressing climate change locally, regionally and nationally by acting to lessen greenhouse gas emissions.

Opinion: We need more school buses

If all students in LWSD who were eligible for school bus transportation were provided bus service and rode the bus to school, the traffic jams around our schools would not exist. The trouble is that our students are not provided with buses so their parents must drive them to school. 

Note that in Washington State, students who must walk more than a mile to school are eligible for bus transportation as part of basic education. (See the section on the 1-mile walk-area in 28A-160-160 in the R C W)