No R-30/Multi-Family Residential Rezoning for Newport Hills Shopping Center

To whom it may concern:

We are deeply concerned about the potential rezoning of the Newport Hills Shopping Center on 119th Ave. SE between SE 56th St and SE 58th St. We understand the Bellevue Planning Commission is considering a proposal to rezone the property to R-30/multi-family residential, which would permit approximately 85% of this 5.92 acre parcel to be redeveloped as multi-family residential area, leaving only a small strip along 119th Ave SE zoned as Neighborhood Business to serve the neighborhood’s retail/commercial needs.

The Newport Hills neighborhood is currently experiencing heavy traffic and reckless driving during peak traffic hours and school drop off and pick up hours. Our local schools are already overcrowded with a forecast for continuous heavy growth according to the Bellevue School District. As of May, Newport Heights Elementary has approximately 680 students with a second portable classroom to be installed this summer. Tyee Middle school has almost 1000 students and four portable classrooms, and Newport High has approximately 1,744 students and 8 portable classrooms. Newport Hills single family homes owned by senior citizens are being sold to young families on a monthly/weekly basis. The BSD does not see an end to the overcrowding issue for 5 years or more.

The influx of families with children created by high density housing would place even more pressure on already crowded schools and will only worsen the traffic issues mentioned above. Furthermore, more people means greater use of other public facilities. The existing infrastructure – including public transit – is not sufficient to support this growth and maintain a high quality of life for everyone.

Newport Hills was an early planned community and was designed to provide shopping, recreation, schools and primary care medical and dental services, plus access to public transit, within walking or biking distance of most homes in the community. This is the very model that many “new urbanists” are encouraging to decrease traffic and increase community closeness.

If the City of Bellevue allows rezoning of the shopping center to R-30 multi-family high density housing we will forever lose the possibility of having basic services in our neighborhood and traffic on arterials will worsen.

There are at least 7 new housing projects proposed or being built within ½ to 2 miles of the Newport Hills Shopping Center and a new specialty food store opening across the street soon. We have yet to understand or feel the impact of these developments on the neighborhood.

The community has a vested interest in the businesses currently operating in the shopping center. They provide valuable services for children and families in Newport Hills and nearby neighborhoods. Preserving their existence and providing square footage for additional businesses is a neighborhood priority.

This area is loved for many reasons. The citizens of Newport Hills and our nearby neighbors are dedicated to preserving a certain quality of life and character in this area: preserving community gathering spaces and businesses and avoiding the crush of urban overcrowding, anonymity and homogenization.

Permitting the shopping center to be redeveloped as multi-family housing and eliminating most of the retail component would substantially burden our neighborhood and schools while providing it no benefit. We urge you not to surrender our community shopping options to market-rate housing infill.

Sincerely,
Citizens of Newport Hills & Friends