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Record of Proceedings

Redmond Planning Commission Meeting – February 25, 2026 – Code Amendments & Public Comments

City Council — Wednesday, February 25, 2026
BodyRedmond, Washington
SessionCity Council
DateWednesday, February 25, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 43:31

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0:05

All right.

0:06

Welcome to the February 25th, 2026 meeting of the Redmond Planning Commission.

0:10

Like to call this meeting to order.

0:13

We will start with a roll call.

0:14

Commissioner Aparna.

0:16

Present.

0:17

Commissioner Copley.

0:19

Present.

0:20

Commissioner Van Nyman.

0:22

Present.

0:23

Vice Chair Whittier.

0:24

Present.

0:25

And I am Chair Weston.

0:27

Commissioners Coleman and Gagner are excused today.

0:32

I would like to thank the following staff for being present tonight.

0:36

Jeff Churchill, Glenn Coyle, Kim Deeds, and Chris Wyatt.

0:40

I look for a motion to approve the agenda.

0:42

So moved.

0:44

Second.

0:45

All in favor?

0:46

Aye.

0:46

Aye.

0:48

Aye.

0:51

All right, that's approved.

0:53

And then any corrections to the meeting summary from last time.

0:59

All right.

1:00

I look for a motion to approve the meeting summary from February 11th, 2026.

1:04

So moved.

1:05

Second.

1:07

All in favor?

1:08

Aye.

1:08

Aye.

1:09

All right.

1:10

And that is also approved.

1:12

Now it's time for us to hear public comment and items from the audience.

1:16

This is for any comment that's not related to our public hearing on the 2026 code amendments, which include business improvements, fences, and legislative conformance.

1:25

So this will be other topics.

1:27

Who do we have tonight, Glenn?

1:29

I just have one person, uh David Morton signed up.

1:35

Signed up.

1:40

Oh, did I just sign a piece of paper?

1:41

I thought it was a public comment.

1:44

Sorry, I signed the wrong piece of paper.

1:46

All right, we're going to hear from David Morton.

1:52

Good evening, Commissioners.

1:53

I'm David Morton, Redmond 98053.

1:57

I ask that you recommend that the city require PFAS testing at the DTG recycle site, formerly all wood recycling, before any ground disturbance occurs as part of the Evans Creek relocation project.

2:11

The DTG site sits within Redmond's critical aquifer recharge area one or CARA 1, where groundwater contamination can reach municipal supply wells in under five years.

2:24

In August 2013, six fire departments responded to a massive multi-day fire at Allwood Recycling.

2:31

Firefighting foam was used.

2:33

About 1,900 fish in Evans Creek were killed.

2:37

The DTG site was already a contaminated cleanup site awaiting cleanup before the fire.

2:43

Here's the core problem.

2:45

When the Department of Ecology sampled soil at the DTG site in 2022, they did not test for PFAS.

2:53

The Evans Creek relocation project may disturb that same soil.

2:58

Digging without first testing risks mobilizing any PFAS contamination that is present.

3:04

Potentially increasing the levels of PFAS pollution in Redmond's Aquifer.

3:09

Key questions remain unanswered.

3:11

First, which of the six responding fire departments used Silvex foam during the 2013 fire?

3:18

And did any of the agencies also deploy firefighting foam known to contain PFAS?

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Zoning Code Amendment█████████████████████████████████████████████47%
Environmental Protection███████████12%
Community Engagement███████████12%
Procedural█████████9%
Business Licensing█████████9%
Water And Wastewater Management██████6%
Noise Pollution Control███3%
Housing And Homelessness██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Redmond Planning Commission Meeting – February 25, 2026

The Redmond Planning Commission met on February 25, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. in a hybrid format. The meeting included public comments on general topics, a public hearing and study session on the 2026 Code Amendment Series (Business Improvement, Fences, and Legislative Conformance), and commissioner updates. Commissioners Adam Coleman and Denice Gagner were excused.

Consent Calendar

  • Unanimously approved the meeting agenda.
  • Unanimously approved the February 11, 2026 meeting summary.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • David Morton (Redmond 98053) – Expressed concern about PFAS contamination at the DTG recycle site (formerly Allwood Recycling) before the Evans Creek relocation project. He requested the city require PFAS soil and groundwater testing in the Critical Aquifer Recharge Area 1 (CARA1), citing the 2013 fire where firefighting foam was used. He posed several unanswered questions about foam usage, monitoring wells, and testing history.
  • Andrew Brown (Redmond 98052) – Addressed two topics:
    1. Illegal tree removal and light pollution along the Sammamish River trail. He described the cutting of landmark trees in September 2025, loss of habitat, and uncontrolled artificial light affecting the trail. He requested a thorough review, stronger enforcement, and consequences for violations.
    2. Challenges with replacing non-conforming fences along the river trail (e.g., legacy fences with barbed wire). He asked for clear, common-sense guidance for HOAs and replacement permits, noting precedents from nearby developments.
  • Public Hearing Testimony (same individuals on the Code Amendment Series):
    • David Morton supported the business improvement amendments (e.g., business open signage) but sought enforcement clarity. On fences, he echoed February 11th concerns about legal non-conforming fences and urged plain-language guidance. He supported removing the 300-foot childcare spacing restriction and asked for accessible public materials.
    • Andrew Brown again raised fence issues, emphasizing the difficulty of obtaining permits for replacing legacy fences and requesting practical solutions.

Discussion Items

  • 2026 Code Amendment Series Study Session – Staff (Jeff Churchill, Kim Deeds) presented corrections (typo in unit lot subdivision applicability; omission of 20% open space standard in NR/NM zones to be added back) and reviewed the Issues Matrix. Commissioners discussed:
    • Issue #1 (Non-conforming fences): Chair Weston noted difficulty understanding regulations for environmentally sensitive areas, especially shoreline jurisdiction. Staff agreed to research further. Left open.
    • Issue #2 (Prohibiting barbed/razor wire near parks): New language was supported; issue closed.
    • Issue #3 (Incentive package): Closed per commissioner request.
    • Issue #4 (Community feedback link): Remained open pending Commissioner Gagner's review.
    • Issue #5 (Childcare proximity): Closed; state law prohibits 300-foot restriction.
    • Issue #6 (Co-living): Clarification provided; issue closed.
    • Issue #7 (Parking minimums): Staff noted adequate review process; issue closed.
    • Issue #8 (Business use lookup tool): Chair Weston praised the tool and videos; issue closed.
    • Issue #9 (Subdivision diagrams): Closed; staff will consider updates.
    • Issue #10 (Public comment on fences): Referred to issue #1; closed.
  • Commissioner Updates:
    • Commissioner Copley noted public awareness of housing opportunities increasing.
    • Chair Weston updated that the Cascade Water Alliance water system plan was approved; she will coordinate a council briefing for commissioners.
    • Chair Weston highlighted resources for displacement concerns: Redmond's housing action plan, human services strategic plan, Arch King County 211, and King County Housing Authority.

Key Outcomes

  • The public hearing was closed for verbal testimony but remained open for written comments.
  • Most issues in the Issues Matrix (2,3,5,6,7,8,9,10) were closed; issue #1 was kept open for further staff research.
  • The next meeting is scheduled for March 11, 2026, where the commission may make a recommendation on the code amendments.
  • Staff will correct the packet (typo and omission) and update materials before the next meeting.

Meeting Transcript

All right. Welcome to the February 25th, 2026 meeting of the Redmond Planning Commission. Like to call this meeting to order. We will start with a roll call. Commissioner Aparna. Present. Commissioner Copley. Present. Commissioner Van Nyman. Present. Vice Chair Whittier. Present. And I am Chair Weston. Commissioners Coleman and Gagner are excused today. I would like to thank the following staff for being present tonight. Jeff Churchill, Glenn Coyle, Kim Deeds, and Chris Wyatt. I look for a motion to approve the agenda. So moved. Second. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Aye. All right, that's approved. And then any corrections to the meeting summary from last time. All right. I look for a motion to approve the meeting summary from February 11th, 2026. So moved. Second. All in favor? Aye. Aye. All right. And that is also approved. Now it's time for us to hear public comment and items from the audience. This is for any comment that's not related to our public hearing on the 2026 code amendments, which include business improvements, fences, and legislative conformance. So this will be other topics. Who do we have tonight, Glenn? I just have one person, uh David Morton signed up. Signed up. Oh, did I just sign a piece of paper? I thought it was a public comment. Sorry, I signed the wrong piece of paper. All right, we're going to hear from David Morton. Good evening, Commissioners. I'm David Morton, Redmond 98053. I ask that you recommend that the city require PFAS testing at the DTG recycle site, formerly all wood recycling, before any ground disturbance occurs as part of the Evans Creek relocation project. The DTG site sits within Redmond's critical aquifer recharge area one or CARA 1, where groundwater contamination can reach municipal supply wells in under five years. In August 2013, six fire departments responded to a massive multi-day fire at Allwood Recycling. Firefighting foam was used.

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