Redmond: 2050 Code Updates
The City of Redmond has reached a pivotal moment in its planned evolution, with the City Council’s recent adoption of updated development regulations that fully implement the vision of the Redmond 2050 Comprehensive Plan. This sweeping initiative marks a deliberate transition from a traditional suburb to a modern, thriving city, a process informed by years of deep community collaboration. The new code is structured around core priorities: advancing equity and inclusion, promoting sustainability and resiliency, and simplifying the regulatory landscape to make it more accessible and modern. Mayor Angela Birney affirmed that these updates reflect a shared vision for an inclusive, sustainable, and vibrant future, laying the groundwork for a city that works for everyone, both today and for generations to come. The changes are profound, impacting nearly every property and determining how Redmond will be built over the coming decades.
A major focus was placed on increasing regulatory efficiency. The City successfully streamlined its complex zoning code, consolidating fifty distinct zoning districts down to just twenty, while simultaneously restructuring and rewriting the code to significantly enhance usability and comprehension. This regulatory modernization extends to use regulations, which are now more flexible and reflective of a dynamic urban center. Examples include making home-based business regulations more pliable, creating new opportunities for neighborhood mixed-use developments, and adding greater flexibility for entertainment and food uses, notably allowing for food truck courts. Furthermore, the code strategically leverages new transportation infrastructure by providing robust opportunities for transit-oriented development around Redmond’s light rail stations. Incentives are built into these areas, offering bonuses for projects that contribute to the new Marymoor Village Arts and Cultural District or participate in the inclusive neighborhood pilot project.
The updated regulations introduce significant changes to design standards to ensure they meet modern state laws and explicitly advance the City’s equity and sustainability goals. The code now adopts mandatory green building requirements, including provisions for Electric Vehicle (EV)-ready parking and additional flexibility for innovative green construction techniques like mass timber and passive house construction. Crucially, the updates integrate universal design standards and related incentives, directly addressing feedback from community members like the Disability Empowerment Center, whose input helped ensure the new accessibility codes reflect contemporary mobility device standards. This focus on universal design is a key component of the strategy to make Redmond’s buildings and neighborhoods more welcoming and inclusive.
Underpinning these development rules is a new citywide incentive program designed to foster community value. This program emphasizes encouraging the development of child-friendly features, inclusive community spaces, and arts and cultural options. It also works in tandem with new affordable housing requirements and the implementation of middle housing policies, directly supporting the city’s overarching goals for housing affordability and environmental sustainability. The success of the initiative is credited to the genuine, intentional community outreach, as highlighted by Guillermo Rivera of Eastside For All, who praised the City’s partnership with community-based organizations to engage underrepresented voices. The Planning Commission Vice Chair, Jeannine Woodyear, concluded that the code update is more than just a regulatory change; it is a successful reflection of the community's diverse voices and values, providing a clear vision for a future defined by balance, resiliency, and vibrancy.