Bellevue Parks and Community Services Board Meeting – February 19, 2026
Bellevue Parks and Community Services Board Meeting – February 19, 2026
The Parks and Community Services Board met on February 19, 2026, to approve the meeting agenda and prior minutes, hear public comment, welcome a new council liaison, discuss board communications, and receive a kickoff presentation on the Bell Red West Tributary Master Plan. Note: The transcript begins with "Good evening," but the meeting start time was provided as 09:00:00 UTC, indicating a possible discrepancy.
Consent Calendar
- The meeting agenda was approved unanimously by voice vote.
- The minutes from the January 2026 meeting were approved unanimously by voice vote.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Neil Hines spoke in person. He expressed support for connecting the East Trail to existing Bellevue parks (specifically Newcastle Beach Park and Wilburton Park) to improve pedestrian and bicycle access. He also encouraged the city to create more volunteer opportunities for groups, particularly on weekends, noting that only one of 12 listed volunteer activities seemed appealing to groups. He suggested that such efforts could reduce park maintenance costs.
Discussion Items
- City Council Communication: Deputy Mayor Hamilton (outgoing liaison) thanked the board and introduced new liaison Councilmember Nareen Breyer. Councilmember Breyer expressed her enthusiasm for parks and stated she looked forward to learning from the board. No substantial council updates were provided.
- Director's Report: Assistant Director Cameron Parker presented the 2022 Levy for Parks and Open Space report and a new online CIP project map. He also noted the upcoming sheep shearing event at Kelsey Creek Farm and the retirements of Director Michael Shiyosaki and Ted Middlestad, a 40-year recreation employee who helped create the Lake to Lake bike ride. Board members asked about the fate of the Lake to Lake bike ride (staff would follow up) and about tennis court renovations at Enatai Beach Park, including potential pickleball uses.
- Board Communications: Board members introduced themselves to Councilmember Breyer, sharing their favorite parks and suggestions for enhancements:
- Eric Griever: Favorite park Robinswood; praised maintenance.
- Michelle Valverde: Wanted more lighting, accessible play areas for rainy weather, and increased summer camp capacity.
- Eileen Cho: Suggested adding historical descriptions to parks named after individuals, and reported damage at Hidden Valley Park pickleball court from heavy bike use; proposed a community hotline for reporting issues.
- Elizabeth Kronov: Favorite park Weona Park; recommended better signage for off-leash dogs and mountain biking, and raised concerns about low stream water levels and water conservation (xeriscaping).
- Paul Clark (remote): Highlighted off-leash dog non-compliance in downtown parks, called for more enforcement (e.g., King County animal control funding), and praised Ashwood Park redesign.
- Rowena Klima: Favorite park Woodlawn Park; supported pop-up off-leash dog program and discouraging invasive plants.
- Michelle also raised a concern about school district facilities closing public access after hours; staff clarified that school facilities are not counted in the city's walkable access level of service but are valuable neighborhood resources.
- Bell Red West Tributary Master Plan Kickoff: Wyatt Thompson and Zarian Smith presented the plan for a new eight-acre neighborhood park in the Bell Red area. The site is located along the West Tributary of Kelsey Creek, with a piped stream, existing utility infrastructure, and a planned transportation project (Northeast Spring Boulevard) that will bisect the property. Feasibility studies are evaluating stream daylighting, trail connections, repurposing an existing building, site sustainability, and potential Envision certification. Public outreach will include community meetings, pop-ups, and online engagement, with a preferred plan expected by Q4 2026 for board recommendation to council in early 2027. Board members asked about utility integration, stream fish-bearing status, walkability analysis, and the potential for off-leash areas. Staff noted that the park will serve future residential growth in the area and that coordination with the Bell Red Arts District is planned.
Key Outcomes
- Agenda and minutes approved unanimously.
- No formal votes were taken on other items; the master plan process is in its initial phase.
- Staff will provide updates on the March 2026 meeting agenda and future community engagement opportunities for the Bell Red park.
- The board noted the discrepancy between the transcript's "Good evening" and the provided meeting start time of 09:00:00 UTC.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening and welcome to the February Parks and Community Services Board meeting. Um Steve is unable to attend tonight's meeting, and Paul Clark is joining remotely. Uh we are at Quorum, and so this meeting is now called to order. Is there a motion to approve tonight's agenda? I so move. Thank you. A second. A second. All right, let's vote. All in favor to approve tonight's agenda, say aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed, say no. Okay. The agenda is approved unanimously. Next up is the approval of minutes from the park board's January 2026 meeting. Is there a motion to approve the January 2026 meeting minutes? So moved. Thank you. Is there a second? Second. Thank you. Let's vote. All in favor to approve the January 2026 meeting minutes. Um say aye. Aye. Thank you. Any opposed, say no. The minutes are unanimously approved. Next up is oral communications. The Parks and Community Services Board values community input and looks forward to hearing from you during its meeting. Please be aware that in compliance with Washington state campaign laws regarding the use of public facilities during an election. No speaker may support or oppose a ballot measure or support or oppose a candidate for an election, which includes your own campaign. Any speaker who begins discussing topics of this nature will be asked to stop. There are rules adopted by the city council limiting the topics about which the public may speak during our meetings. Under ordinance 6752, the public may only speak during public comment about subject matters that are related to City of Bellevue government and are within the power and duties of the Parks and Community Services Board. Following the board's bylaws, the total time allowed for oral communication shall not exceed 30 minutes. Each speaker will be allowed to speak one time for up to three minutes. We will follow the order in which individuals signed up. If you do not get a chance to speak this evening, you are always invited to email your comments to us at Parkboard at Bellevue Aw.gov. Now I'll turn it over to Cameron who will read names from the online and in-person sign-in sheets. Thank you. We have one person pre-registered this evening. That's Neil Hines. Good evening, and I want to thank you for uh making the adjustment about what speakers can say at the meeting. I think that's a a great idea. Uh I came uh to express two comments about parks matters that I wanted to deliver in person to the commission here. Um first is connection of the East Trail to existing Bellevue Parks. Um I think it's gonna be a critical matter to help pedestrians and bicyclists access the East Trail, which is making great progress. I bike commute on it myself.
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