#Board of Directors
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Aaron August
Senior Vice President, Chief Customer and Transformation Officer Puget Sound EnergyMember -
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Brandon Baucom
MBA, ERIS Vice President, Commercial Insurance Hub International NW, LLCMember -
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Todd Buchanan
AIA, LEED AP Sr. Principal, Sr. Regional Practice Leader HOK 425-2081-917Member -
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Yuliya Hemerlein
Leadership Executive MBA Vice President, Relationship Manager at Key Private Bank KeyBank - Bellevue Main Key Center (425)410-5737Member -
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Garrick Hughes
Principal | Senior Project Manager GLY Construction, Inc (425)451-8877Member -
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Nancy Khoury-Zuanich
Associate Commercial RM Banner Bank - Bellevue Downtown 4255761514Member -
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Christine Liu
Senior Vice President, Commercial Banking Middle Market Director Columbia Bank (425)531-3914Member -
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Sean Marsh
Associate Vice Chancellor of Philanthropy University of Washington - Bothell (425)352-5195Member -
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Scott McClellan
Vice President for University Affairs Seattle University (703)310-8142Member -
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Beth Osborne
Director, Public Affairs & Strategic Community Partnerships Symetra (206)769-2745Member -
Beth Osborne
Director, Public Affairs & Strategic Community Partnerships Symetra (206)769-2745Member
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Megan Ouellette
Vice President, Public and Government Affairs, Alaska Airlines Alaska Airlines (206)304-2657Member -
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Tiffany Rogers
Chief Sales and Marketing Officer First Choice Health (206)484-0274Member -
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Brandon Stone
Elite Benefits Manager IMA (formerly Parker, Smith & Feek) 2067696202Member -
Francesca Vega
Vice President, External Affairs and Community Relations Seattle Children's 2066182980Member -
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Patrick Bannon
President Bellevue Downtown Association (425)453-3113Ex-Officio (Permanent) -
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PLUSH Committee
Permitting, Land Use, Sustainability & Housing:
championing livability and smart growth in Bellevue.
The Bellevue Chamber’s Permitting, Land Use, Sustainability and Housing (PLUSH) Committee is a cross‑section of developers, building contractors, realtors and professional services providers who share a commitment to achieving sustainable growth in Greater Bellevue. The committee recognizes that tens of thousands of new housing units at a range of price points and continued commercial and office development will be needed in the coming years. To help the region grow, PLUSH members regularly engage with government officials and prepare detailed policy proposals for city and state decision‑makers.
PLUSH sits within the Chamber’s public‑policy portfolio and meets monthly. The committee works with developers, architects, general contractors, affordable‑housing experts and others to shorten construction timelines, prioritize growth and improve local and state land‑use policies. Jessica Clawson, a land‑use attorney at McCullough Hill Leary, serves as committee chair.
26+
advocacy letters since 2024
5
major code or ordinance updates engaged on
2
rezoning frameworks advanced with partners
1
cross‑sector housing coalition launched
Support for permit‑extension ordinance: In July 2025 the committee submitted a letter supporting Ordinance No. 6853, which extends the life of certain building‑permit applications and issued permits. PLUSH argued that giving builders more time keeps projects on track, reduces delays and supports Bellevue’s long‑term economic vitality. The letter urged the city to adopt extension timelines that match regional best practices.
Encouraging faster permitting and inspection reforms: Through 2025 PLUSH has championed improvements in inspections and process predictability to keep projects moving, as reflected in its “permit predictability” focus area.
Critical Areas Ordinance: Members supported City staff’s Critical Areas Ordinance draft, after collaborative efforts were made to strike the right balance between ecological improvement and feasibility.
Bel-Red Site tours: PLUSH Committee members and the BelRed Property Owners Group (BPOG) joined forces to tour policy-makers through the Bel-Red neighborhood, In an effort to illustrate the hurdles facing redevelopment.
HOMA Workgroup: Members collaborated on draft code revisions regarding mandatory affordable housing components in the Downtown HOMA LUCA.
Wilburton LUCA: PLUSH members and stakeholders produced a 17-page response to the City’s Wilburton Vision Implementation work to clarify priorities and encourage a template for citywide planning.
MFTE “supercharger” and housing modelling: The City of Bellevue’s Office of Housing briefed PLUSH on the Wilburton MFTE “supercharger”, a permanent program that would expand multifamily‑tax‑exemption options in Wilburton.
PLUSH members provided feedback on assumptions (parking costs, contingencies and sensitivity analyses) and requested streamlined rules so developers, lenders and the city use the same agreement templates.
Advocacy on Housing Opportunities in Mixed‑Use Areas (HOMA): PLUSH argued against inserting a mandatory fee‑in‑lieu in downtown’s amenity‑point system without corresponding development benefits. Instead, members recommended making the fee voluntary and proportionate to bonus area, pairing it with code fixes (e.g., removing build‑to‑line requirements) to unlock housing supply.
Wilburton vision implementation: At the April 2024 PLUSH meeting, the Wilburton Property Owners Group briefed members on efforts to integrate the Wilburton Vision Implementation and future land‑use map into the city’s Comprehensive Plan. Transportation infrastructure remained a key concern, and the group was working closely with city staff to ensure stakeholder involvement in code amendments.
Letters on noise ordinance and interim ordinance control (IOC): In preparation for the April 2024 City Council meeting, PLUSH members reviewed letters sent to the Mayor and Council. One letter, signed by the Chamber, NAIOP and the Associated General Contractors, addressed proposed noise‑ordinance changes, while another from Chamber leaders Joe Fain and Jodie Alberts discussed an Interim Ordinance Control related to additional density, modification of development regulations and affordable housing downtown.
Critical‑areas update: PLUSH submitted several letters to the Bellevue Planning Commission on the city’s Critical Areas Ordinance (CAO). In September 2025 the committee praised proposals to remove man‑made steep slopes from regulation and end the density penalty, but cautioned that broad buffer expansions could slow housing and jobs near transit; the committee requested that the city use real case studies and adopt a balanced approach that protects habitat while keeping Bellevue building.
Earlier, the committee also urged adoption of a performance‑based framework for critical‑areas regulations (June 2025), although details of that letter are not publicly accessible.
Downtown subarea plan: In June 2025 PLUSH provided feedback on the Downtown Center Redesignation (Item 25‑438). The committee supported pursuing a redesignation to position Bellevue for future federal transportation funding but cautioned that some components of the proposed update extended beyond the original scope.
“Our committee is solutions‑first. We pair data with on‑the‑ground expertise to make Bellevue more affordable and more livable for everyone.”PLUSH Leadership
The committee continues to work on several initiatives that will shape growth in Bellevue over the next few years:
- Permitting reforms: Streamlining permit processes, aligning inspection rules and advocating for timeline extensions to reduce friction and improve predictability.
- Housing‑supply strategies: Supporting tools that add homes near jobs and transit, especially expanding MFTE options, aligning HOMA policies with development feasibility and exploring innovative approaches such as mass‑timber construction.
- Smart growth planning: Providing input on rezones and growth strategies in emerging districts (Wilburton, BelRed, downtown) to ensure infrastructure, transportation and environmental policies support sustainable growth.
- Data‑driven environmental policies: Continuing to advocate for science‑based critical‑areas regulations that protect habitat without unnecessarily constraining housing supply.
Ready to Join PLUSH?
Apply to JoinEligibility: Advocate‑level members and above may join this committee.