Lake Hills and West Lake Sammamish residents get their first chance Thursday, Sept. 10, to help shape how their neighborhoods will grow and change over the coming decades.
The City of Bellevue is holding a free public kickoff for its Great Neighborhoods program in the two neighborhoods from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at Jubilee REACH, 14200 SE 13th Place, according to the event's Eventbrite page.
The drop-in event lets residents meet the planning team, explore neighborhood data and share ideas at their own pace.
The plans that come out of this process will guide zoning, development and livability decisions for years.
Bellevue's 16 neighborhood area plans feed into the city's Comprehensive Plan, which shapes growth over 20-year periods, according to a city council roundup published after the July 29 council meeting.
What the program does
Great Neighborhoods is the city's process for updating neighborhood area plans. The Bellevue City Council launched the Lake Hills and West Lake Sammamish effort at its July 29 meeting.
The city says the process will include public input sessions so growth plans reflect what residents want.
Those neighborhood area plans spell out how each part of the city should handle new housing, commercial development and public spaces.
They also set priorities for strengthening each neighborhood's identity and improving day-to-day livability, according to the city's event page.
Lake Hills and West Lake Sammamish are not the only neighborhoods in the pipeline. The city's Engaging Bellevue portal lists active Great Neighborhoods projects for Factoria and Eastgate as well, meaning four Bellevue neighborhoods are going through the planning process at the same time.
How to attend
The Sept. 10 kickoff is a drop-in event. Attendees can arrive any time between 4:30 and 7 p.m. and stay as long as they like.
The event is free.
It is family-friendly, with kids' activities and light refreshments, according to the city's event page. Registration through Eventbrite is recommended but not required.
No follow-up meeting dates or planning milestones beyond the Sept. 10 kickoff have been announced. Residents who want to track the process can visit the Engaging Bellevue portal for updates on both neighborhoods.
