Bellevue has moved to keep detention centers out of the city, at least for now. The City Council adopted a one-year moratorium on June 9 that stops the city from accepting or processing any application to build, expand, or otherwise establish a detention center within Bellevue.
Residents will get a formal chance to weigh in on that decision at a public hearing set for 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 28, during the council’s regular meeting.
The council passed the measure, Ordinance 6926, unanimously and as emergency legislation, meaning it took effect immediately rather than waiting through the standard adoption process. That’s why the hearing is happening after the fact rather than before: state law allows cities to adopt a moratorium on an emergency basis, but requires a public hearing within 60 days so residents still get to weigh in and the council can consider further findings. The July 28 session fulfills that requirement.
Why the council acted
The moratorium isn’t a response to a specific detention center proposal in Bellevue. City officials say it’s a preemptive move to close a gap in the city’s rulebook. Bellevue’s zoning code doesn’t currently define or address detention centers as a distinct type of land use, which leaves uncertainty about how such a facility would be permitted or what safeguards would apply…