In a tight 4-3 vote Tuesday night, Bellevue City Council slapped temporary brakes on large-scale redevelopment in Old Bellevue, approving emergency rules for a two-block stretch of Main Street intended to keep the neighborhood’s low-rise, pedestrian-friendly storefront vibe intact. The interim controls require property owners to preserve or faithfully reconstruct Main Street-facing façades and are meant to buy time while the city figures out a longer-term strategy.
What the interim controls do
Ordinance No. 6903 lays out new interim official controls for properties along Main Street between 100th Avenue NE and Bellevue Way, including strict façade-preservation rules up to the second floor, as detailed in the City of Bellevue document. Under the…..