Council Roundup: Rewrite of sign code adopted

Published June 11 2026

Plus, public safety report, detention center moratorium and Keep Bellevue Beautiful updates

On Tuesday, the City Council unanimously adopted updates to the city's sign code following a multiyear effort to modernize and simplify Bellevue's sign regulations.

The updated code has been reorganized to make it easier to navigate and apply clear, easy-to-follow standards. It also brings Bellevue's sign code into compliance with legal requirements that all sign regulations be content-neutral. In other words, similar signs may not be regulated differently based only on the sign's content.

The decision came after a months-long, phased outreach process, beginning with broad awareness and community conversations followed by public review of the draft code. Throughout the process, staff incorporated feedback from the Bellevue community, including property owners, businesses, neighborhood groups and city departments.

The changes include significant updates to standards for temporary signs, new flexibility for businesses in multi-tenant buildings and additional support for unique signage needs. The updates also introduce an opportunity for digital wayfinding signage along the Grand Connection and in the BelRed Arts District. In response to council and community feedback, registration will now be required only for temporary yard signs placed in the public right of way longer than 48 hours.

The sign code will go into effect Feb. 1, 2027, to provide time to inform the community about the changes before they take effect. Additional information is available in the meeting materials.

Public safety report

Bellevue Police provided the council with an update on key public safety statistics affecting the community. Bellevue continues to see a downward trend in overall crime. Reported crimes were down 28% compared with 2025, and property crimes were down 30% year-over-year.

Traffic and road safety continued to be a focus for the department, and the agency reported that citations were up 11% while collisions were down about 9%. These figures reflect an ongoing emphasis on speeding and excessive noise, along with a summer focus on impaired driving.

Other highlights included details on the department's Community Crisis Assistance Team (CCAT) and Bellevue Light Rail Unit (BLU) teams, plans to ensure safety during the World Cup in Seattle and future investments in drones as first responders. The full presentation is available on Bellevue Television.

Detention center moratorium

In other business, the council unanimously adopted a one-year moratorium on accepting or processing applications for establishing or developing detention centers in Bellevue. In addition, the council established a work plan for how to approach regulation of detention facilities in the city once the moratorium expires. Additional details are available in the meeting materials.

Keep Bellevue Beautiful update

The council received an update on the Keep Bellevue Beautiful program, which launched in 2023 and has since grown into a citywide effort to maintain clean, welcoming public spaces through Signature Streets cleanups, Adopt-a-Street projects and abandoned shopping cart retrieval.

Since expanding citywide in 2025, KBB has completed more than 330 cleanups, retrieved over 3,195 carts, engaged 625 volunteers and collected more than 700 bags of litter.

Looking ahead, the program is focused on increasing volunteer involvement, strengthening partnerships, improving tracking in frequently reported areas and expanding education around litter prevention. Community members can get involved by joining cleanups, adopting a street segment or participating in volunteer events. Additional details are in the agenda materials.

Direction on omnibus package of land use and city code changes

The council also received an update on omnibus code amendments that consolidate a variety of small-scale code updates into a single process for efficiency, clarity and usability of the code. The update also ensures compliance with recently updated state law by summer 2026 deadlines.

The Planning Commission recommended the land use code portion of the updates to council after adding a residential fee-in-lieu option in East Main based on public feedback. Following the presentation and discussion, the council voted six in favor and one (Councilmember Lynne Robinson) against to bring the code updates back for action at a future meeting. Additional details are available in the meeting materials.

Parks & Community Services Board member appointed

Councilmember Naren Briar, liaison to the Parks & Community Services Board, recommended Stephan Hobe to serve on the board for a full term ending May 31, 2030. The council unanimously approved the appointment.

Proclamations

The council also read proclamations in recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day and Juneteenth.