OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Redmond City Council Study Session on Overlake Commons, TMP, Budget, and CIP - January 27, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, January 27, 2026
BodyRedmond, Washington
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, January 27, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
Meeting Thumbnail
⇩ GET FROM SOURCE

STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE

Transcript — Verbatim
0:45

Good evening.

0:46

I'm calling this meeting to order.

0:48

This is a Redmond City Council study session held on Tuesday, January 27th, 2026, commencing at 7 p.m.

0:55

All council members are in attendance, including our newest colleague, Councilmember Sina Parsi.

1:00

We are so excited to have you.

1:02

Welcome.

1:03

There are five items on the agenda tonight.

1:05

Overlake Commons Master Plan Development Agreement and Site Plan Entitlement.

1:09

Transportation Master Plan Status Update Final Plan.

1:13

Outcome Maps Refresh, Healthy and Sustainable as well as strategic and responsive.

1:19

2025 Q4 Capital Investment Program status update, including a look ahead to 2026 and an update on the MOC campus rebuild project.

1:29

We will also have council talk time.

1:32

The first item on the agenda is the Overlay Commons Master Plan Development Agreement and Site Plan Entitlement.

1:37

This is a quasi-judicial matter.

1:39

Carol Helen, Director of Planning and Development, will introduce the item.

1:42

Welcome.

1:43

Thank you.

1:44

Thank you so much.

1:44

Council President Stewart and good evening, Council members.

1:48

Uh tonight I'm joined with by Alex Hunt tonight, and he's our senior planner, and he's here to brief us on the proposed master plan development, development agreement and site plan entitlement for the Overlake Commons project.

2:01

This item was introduced to you first on December 2nd during the planning and public works committee of the whole meeting, and we're asking council to schedule a public hearing for February 17th and after hearing testimony.

2:23

So with that, I'm going to hand it over to Alex, who has the latest breaking news.

2:28

Thank you, Carol.

2:29

Good evening, members of the city council.

2:31

My name is Alex Hunt.

2:32

I'm a senior planner with the planning and community development department.

2:35

We are looking at the Overlake Commons uh quasi-judicial land use application this evening.

2:41

And as Carol mentioned, uh that includes a master plan, a development agreement, and uh a site plan entitlement, and we'll get into what that all entails.

2:51

Uh this is a quasi-judicial review, meaning that uh any communications outside the scope of a council meeting must be disclosed and could result in the disqualification of a decision maker if objections are raised.

3:05

Uh, the purpose of this meeting is to provide uh information on the proposal and receive any feedback the council may have as we uh prepare for the public hearing in April.

3:16

Uh this proposal is vested to 2024 Redmond zoning code standards, meaning that we are reviewing under the 2024 standards.

3:26

I'll provide a little bit more information on that later in this presentation.

3:30

And the technical committee, which is made up of the director of planning and community development as well as the director of public works, have uh reviewed staff's recommendation on this uh application and are recommending approval with conditions to the city council.

3:46

So with that background, I'll orient us to the project site here.

3:53

We are looking at a 4.7-acre parcel in the Overlake Village One zone.

3:59

Uh this parcel is right across the street from the Overlake Village Light Rail Station.

4:05

And it is uh currently the home of Overlake Terrace Senior Living.

4:09

Uh so I'll pause on that point quickly because I know that the public had brought up concerns with displacement and uh committee of the whole head addressed that as an item to follow up on.

4:19

Uh so I'll just uh mention here that the the city doesn't have any regulations or mechanism that requires mitigation for displacement.

4:29

However, the applicant has uh informed us of some voluntary measures that they're going to be taking to mitigate that displacement of uh people living in that facility.

4:40

Uh and that includes uh relocation assistance as well as discounting uh facilities that people would relocate to.

4:52

And then there also is the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services uh requirement to notify uh residents of relocation.

5:01

So I'll leave it there for tonight, and the applicant will be joining at the public hearing, and I'm hopeful that they'll be able to provide some more information at that time.

5:12

So I just wanted to follow up on that point.

5:17

Now looking at the proposal for this site, the applicant is proposing two eight-story multifamily residential buildings for a total of up to 830 residential units.

5:28

10% of those units would be affordable to households making up to 80% of the area median income.

5:35

750 total parking stalls would be provided on site within structured parking.

5:42

And there's also an open space network provided as well as shared access with the property to the north.

5:50

So the property to the north is also undergoing a redevelopment application right now.

5:54

This is called the R22 project.

5:58

And the committee of the whole planning and public works will hopefully be seeing that project next week.

6:03

So that one's coming down the pipeline very soon.

6:06

So this project, Overlake Commons will be sharing access with R22 to the north.

6:19

This program offers development incentives in terms of height bonuses and density bonuses in exchange for public benefits.

6:27

This proposal is making use of the decarbonization incentive, which requires that this checklist of items be met in the building with the goal of reducing the carbon emissions throughout the life of that project.

6:43

So this is how the applicant is achieving their desired development density and height, and we'll be reviewing for all these uh items bulleted here during the building permit, and we'll also require uh long-term monitoring of uh to ensure that they're meeting those goals and requirements.

7:09

So I just wanted to share this rendering of the development to give us all a better idea of the uh scale and design of the building.

7:17

Overlake Commons is those two dark gray buildings.

7:22

Uh so this is really just to get a better sense of what is the scale of two eight-story buildings in Overlake, how does it compare to the uh Astera Park developments to the south, which is to the right in this image, as well as uh the proposed R22 development, which is that uh light gray uh volume to the left.

7:45

Uh so just something to refer to when you're thinking about the the scale and design of this project as it's proposed.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Transportation Safety████████████████████20%
Budget Equity Analysis██████████████14%
Community Engagement███████████11%
Engineering And Infrastructure██████████10%
Community Development█████████9%
Public Engagement████████8%
Procedural█████5%
Environmental Protection█████5%
Immigration Support████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Redmond City Council Study Session – January 27, 2026

The Redmond City Council held a study session on January 27, 2026, at 7:00 PM. All council members were present, including newly sworn-in Councilmember Sayna Parsi. The agenda included five major items: the Overlake Commons Master Planned Development (quasi-judicial), the Transportation Master Plan (TMP) final update, the Outcome Maps Refresh for budget priorities, the Q4 Capital Investment Program (CIP) status update, and Council Talk Time featuring a policy proposal on immigrant protections. No formal votes were taken, but the council provided direction on moving items forward.

Discussion Items

1. Overlake Commons Master Planned Development, Development Agreement, and Site Plan Entitlement

  • Senior Planner Alex Hunt presented the 4.7‑acre project in Overlake Village, proposing two eight‑story buildings with up to 830 residential units (10% affordable at 80% AMI), 750 parking stalls (0.62 spaces/unit), and structured parking. The proposal is vested under the 2024 Redmond zoning code and uses decarbonization incentives.
  • Key points included: voluntary relocation assistance for Overlake Terrace senior residents; tree removal (majority of site) with a request for exceptions to retain 35% canopy and remove landmark trees; administrative design flexibility requests for reduced ground‑floor commercial, parking, trash chute distance, facade modulation, open space dimensions, and bicycle parking (60% of units).
  • The development agreement offers public benefits: a 4,500‑sq‑ft publicly accessible nature plaza, enhanced bike/pedestrian safety design (7‑foot cycle track, 10‑foot sidewalk), LEED Gold certification, and public art.
  • Councilmembers expressed concerns about tree retention, the reduced bike storage (60% vs. 100%), the lack of retail activation, and the adequacy of public benefits. Staff noted that the city lacks authority to mandate displacement mitigation.
  • A public hearing was tentatively scheduled for April 7, 2026 (note: the agenda referenced February 17, but staff stated April 7). The applicant will be present at the hearing.

2. Transportation Master Plan (TMP) Final Plan Status Update

  • Staff (Francesca Liberty, Michael Hinz) reviewed the plan, which built on Redmond 2050 and engaged over 4,500 community members. Key strategies include reducing VMT and GHG, applying a Safe System Approach, and promoting multimodal travel.
  • The Planning Commission recommended an amendment to add an action focused on wayfinding connectivity and education for accessing urban centers and light rail from neighborhoods.
  • Council supported the amendment and directed staff to add language emphasizing wayfinding from key neighborhoods. The council agreed to place the adoption ordinance on the February 3, 2026 consent agenda.
  • Upcoming 2026 priorities include a secure bike parking pilot, neighborhood connections analysis, Avondale Road corridor study, and advancing bike/pedestrian spine projects.

3. Outcome Maps Refresh: Healthy & Sustainable and Strategic & Responsive

  • Haritha Nara and Hailey Zercher presented the draft refreshed outcome maps, explaining the framework linking community values to budget priorities, dashboard indicators, and performance measures. Two of four priorities were covered tonight.
  • Council provided feedback on several metrics: concern about “lower non‑critical 911 utilization” as a metric (potential perverse incentives); suggestions to add metrics for natural habitat restoration, climate resilience, cybersecurity incidents, and first‑time community engagement; and a call for more holistic measures on equity and the “Ready” goals (diversity, equity, inclusion).
  • Council also discussed the need for “meta‑metrics” to track progress on housing, climate, and other comprehensive plan goals. Staff will refine the maps and present the remaining two priorities (Safe & Resilient, Vibrant & Connected) on February 10, 2026, alongside community engagement planned for late February/early March.

4. 2025 Q4 CIP Status Update and 2026 Look‑Ahead

  • Director Aaron Burt, Tess, and Steve reported that 12 of 18 CIP projects were completed in 2025. Three projects (Fire Station 17 siding, Reservoir Park sports court/water tank) were delayed due to winter weather. The LED lighting retrofit at City Hall saved 66 tons of carbon/year and $28,000 in operating costs.
  • The MOC Campus Rebuild Project is in validation phase, leaning toward full off‑site rebuild with dispersed operations. A $5–7 million contract amendment will be requested for permitting and design. Groundbreaking is targeted for early 2027 with a two‑year build. Council tours of the MOC site are scheduled for February.
  • Additional updates: Teen Center demolition (Phase 1) planned for May 2026, with a celebration before demolition; Reservoir Park sports court project $300,000 over budget due to unforeseen slab repairs, but completion expected early summer; Bell‑Red buffered bike lanes to be repackaged with an interlocal agreement with Bellevue; and 75% of concrete work in 2026 will focus on downtown Redmond.

5. Council Talk Time – Policy Proposal No. 1: Welcoming Community Resolution

  • Councilmember Forsyth introduced a policy proposal for a resolution affirming Redmond as a welcoming community and outlining steps to protect residents from federal immigration enforcement (ICE). She noted that 44% of residents are foreign‑born and 49% speak a language other than English at home.
  • Councilmembers expressed strong support and suggested a joint council statement in addition to the resolution to improve accessibility. The council agreed to move forward with drafting, with further discussion planned at the February 1, 2026 council retreat to shape proactive measures.

Key Outcomes

  • Overlake Commons: Council accepted the report and directed staff to proceed to a public hearing on April 7, 2026 (tentative); no decision was made.
  • Transportation Master Plan: Council directed staff to incorporate a wayfinding amendment and place the adoption ordinance on the February 3, 2026 consent agenda for approval.
  • Outcome Maps Refresh: Feedback was recorded; staff will present revised maps and the remaining two priorities on February 10, 2026.
  • CIP Update: No formal action; council acknowledged progress and received updates. The MOC project will return with a contract amendment and design scope in March.
  • Policy Proposal (Welcoming Community): Council supported proceeding with a draft resolution and exploring a joint statement; further refinement will occur at the council retreat.

Note: There is a discrepancy between the agenda (which scheduled the Overlake Commons public hearing for February 17) and the oral presentation (which stated April 7). Staff later referenced April 7 as the tentative date.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening. I'm calling this meeting to order. This is a Redmond City Council study session held on Tuesday, January 27th, 2026, commencing at 7 p.m. All council members are in attendance, including our newest colleague, Councilmember Sina Parsi. We are so excited to have you. Welcome. There are five items on the agenda tonight. Overlake Commons Master Plan Development Agreement and Site Plan Entitlement. Transportation Master Plan Status Update Final Plan. Outcome Maps Refresh, Healthy and Sustainable as well as strategic and responsive. 2025 Q4 Capital Investment Program status update, including a look ahead to 2026 and an update on the MOC campus rebuild project. We will also have council talk time. The first item on the agenda is the Overlay Commons Master Plan Development Agreement and Site Plan Entitlement. This is a quasi-judicial matter. Carol Helen, Director of Planning and Development, will introduce the item. Welcome. Thank you. Thank you so much. Council President Stewart and good evening, Council members. Uh tonight I'm joined with by Alex Hunt tonight, and he's our senior planner, and he's here to brief us on the proposed master plan development, development agreement and site plan entitlement for the Overlake Commons project. This item was introduced to you first on December 2nd during the planning and public works committee of the whole meeting, and we're asking council to schedule a public hearing for February 17th and after hearing testimony. So with that, I'm going to hand it over to Alex, who has the latest breaking news. Thank you, Carol. Good evening, members of the city council. My name is Alex Hunt. I'm a senior planner with the planning and community development department. We are looking at the Overlake Commons uh quasi-judicial land use application this evening. And as Carol mentioned, uh that includes a master plan, a development agreement, and uh a site plan entitlement, and we'll get into what that all entails. Uh this is a quasi-judicial review, meaning that uh any communications outside the scope of a council meeting must be disclosed and could result in the disqualification of a decision maker if objections are raised. Uh, the purpose of this meeting is to provide uh information on the proposal and receive any feedback the council may have as we uh prepare for the public hearing in April. Uh this proposal is vested to 2024 Redmond zoning code standards, meaning that we are reviewing under the 2024 standards. I'll provide a little bit more information on that later in this presentation. And the technical committee, which is made up of the director of planning and community development as well as the director of public works, have uh reviewed staff's recommendation on this uh application and are recommending approval with conditions to the city council. So with that background, I'll orient us to the project site here. We are looking at a 4.7-acre parcel in the Overlake Village One zone. Uh this parcel is right across the street from the Overlake Village Light Rail Station. And it is uh currently the home of Overlake Terrace Senior Living. Uh so I'll pause on that point quickly because I know that the public had brought up concerns with displacement and uh committee of the whole head addressed that as an item to follow up on. Uh so I'll just uh mention here that the the city doesn't have any regulations or mechanism that requires mitigation for displacement. However, the applicant has uh informed us of some voluntary measures that they're going to be taking to mitigate that displacement of uh people living in that facility. Uh and that includes uh relocation assistance as well as discounting uh facilities that people would relocate to. And then there also is the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services uh requirement to notify uh residents of relocation. So I'll leave it there for tonight, and the applicant will be joining at the public hearing, and I'm hopeful that they'll be able to provide some more information at that time. So I just wanted to follow up on that point. Now looking at the proposal for this site, the applicant is proposing two eight-story multifamily residential buildings for a total of up to 830 residential units. 10% of those units would be affordable to households making up to 80% of the area median income. 750 total parking stalls would be provided on site within structured parking. And there's also an open space network provided as well as shared access with the property to the north. So the property to the north is also undergoing a redevelopment application right now. This is called the R22 project.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI
TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com