Redmond Planning Commission Meeting – October 14, 2026

The Redmond Planning Commission held a hybrid meeting on October 14, 2026, beginning at 7:00 p.m. and adjourning at approximately 9:25 p.m. The meeting included officer elections, two public hearings, a study session on the tree code update, and staff/commissioner updates. Chairperson Susan Weston resigned earlier, making the election of a new chair and vice chair necessary. The commission heard public testimony from Dr. David Morton on several agenda items and deliberated on three docket items from the 2026–2027 Comprehensive Plan Docket.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of the Agenda: Moved and seconded; passed unanimously.
• Approval of Meeting Summary (September 23, 2026): Moved and seconded; passed unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• General Public Comment (Not Related to Hearings): Dr. David Morton (Redmond 98053) raised concerns about PFAS contamination in soil and groundwater, specifically referencing the former Allwood Recycling Site (DTG Recycle) and the adjacent Evans Creek relocation site, both in critical aquifer recharge areas. He urged the commission to ask staff whether environmental baseline data, including PFAS, has been collected for affected parcels before ground disturbance. He also requested that the commission recommend funding for PFAS testing in the 2027–2028 city budget. No action was taken on this comment.
• Public Hearing – Repeal Neighborhood Connections Map: Dr. David Morton spoke in support of repealing the five outdated neighborhood connections maps and replacing them with the Transportation Master Plan (TMP) maps adopted in February 2026. He made three requests: (1) update policy references that currently cite the old maps to point to the new TMP figures; (2) provide a crosswalk listing each connection on the old maps and whether it was retained, modified, or removed; (3) clean up Appendix G, Table 1 (e.g., blank fields and duplicate entries). He recommended Option 1 (immediate repeal) conditioned on these requests.
• Public Hearing – Transportation Facilities Plan (TFP) Projects Update: Dr. David Morton supported the proposed shared-use paths but raised concerns about the environmental analysis (criteria F and G stated as “not applicable” without supporting analysis), a conflict in the issues matrix regarding project prioritization, missing cost estimates and time frames for new projects, and procedural record errors (e.g., conflicting SEPA dates and incorrect document headers). He requested corrections before the October 28 recommendation.
• Public Hearing – Tree Code Update: Dr. David Morton made four requests: (1) define when third-party permit review is mandatory (not just at administrator’s discretion); (2) require an explicit exception request and independent review for the impervious surface provision (Section 2172.100 C2); (3) urge council to fund a city arborist in the 2027–2028 budget; (4) provide a tree canopy projection before the November 18 recommendation, noting canopy dropped from 38% (2019) to 37% (2023) against a 40% goal for 2050.

Discussion Items

• Election of Officers: Commissioners elected a new Chair and Vice Chair for the remainder of the one-year term (through March 2027). Jeannine Woodyear was nominated and elected Chair by acclamation. Adam Coleman (absent but expressed interest) was nominated and elected Vice Chair by acclamation.
• Repeal Neighborhood Connections Map – Study Session: Staff (Michael Hintze) presented two options: (1) approve the repeal now, replacing the five old maps with the TMP maps; (2) combine this action with the larger neighborhood planning docket item in 2027. Commissioner Van Niman initially supported option 2 but changed to option 1 after hearing public testimony and staff’s rationale. Commissioner Bisht and Gagnier also supported option 1. Commissioner Aparna preferred option 2 for consistency. The commission voted to move forward with Option 1, conditioned on staff providing a written crosswalk of removed connections and cleaning up references. Staff will prepare a report and recommendation for the October 28 meeting. The written public comment period will remain open until that date.
• TFP Projects Update – Study Session: Staff (Michael Hintze) presented updates adding two shared-use paths (NE 40th St and NE 70th St) and correcting an existing project (NE 72nd St) to include a shared-use path. Commissioner Aparna requested that Dr. Morton’s comments about date errors and document inconsistencies be addressed in the issues matrix and cleaned up before approval. Other commissioners concurred. Staff will bring a revised report and recommendation to the October 28 meeting.
• Tree Code Update – Public Hearing and Study Session: Staff (Lauren Anderson remotely, Cameron Zapata) presented an overview of proposed changes: cleaned-up definitions, a tree credit calculation for development, expanded fee-in-lieu uses, updated exception criteria, a one-to-one replacement requirement for hazardous landmark/heritage trees, and new protection zone rules. The study session focused on the issues matrix from the September 23 session. Commissioners discussed several items:
  • Code navigation: The code is 97 pages (39 pages of code plus references). Commissioners requested a clearer structure or a “how-to guide” for homeowners vs. developers; staff will include improved navigation aids and public education materials post-adoption.
  • Third-party review and enforcement: Staff added third-party review provisions but questions remained about mandatory triggers and independence. Commissioner Aparna and others stressed the need for stronger enforcement mechanisms, including a city arborist.
  • Tree credit system complexity: Commissioner Aparna argued the development tree credit formula is overly complex and difficult to enforce, especially for smaller projects and homeowners. She suggested a simpler, threshold-based approach. Chair Woodyear emphasized the importance of a strong replacement requirement, regardless of the formula.
  • Replacement and canopy tracking: Staff noted the tree canopy strategic plan will be updated, but no timeline was given. Commissioners requested current canopy data and projections, and expressed concern about equitable replanting in areas experiencing highest loss.
  • Several issues were closed or kept open for further study. The commission will continue the tree code study session on November 4 and aim for a recommendation on November 18.

Key Outcomes

• Election: Jeannine Woodyear elected Chair; Adam Coleman elected Vice Chair (term through March 2027).
• Neighborhood Connections Map Repeal: Commission directed staff to proceed with Option 1 (immediate repeal) and to provide a written crosswalk of changes. A recommendation and report will be presented on October 28.
• TFP Projects Update: Commission directed staff to correct procedural errors (dates, headers, cost estimates) and bring a revised recommendation to October 28.
• Tree Code Update: Commission kept several issues open, including: code navigation/structure, third-party review triggers, tree credit complexity, canopy data and projections, replacement requirements for heritage/dying trees, and relief for low-income homeowners. The next study session is November 4.
• Next Meeting: October 28, 2026 – report approval for the Neighborhood Connections repeal and TFP updates, plus introduction of commercial drones docket.