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Medina City Council Approves $4.2 Million Fairweather Bay Waterfront Park Plan

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 09:00:00 -0700

MEDINA, Wash. — The Medina City Council voted 6-1 on Monday night to approve a $4.2 million phased improvement plan for Fairweather Bay Park, ending two years of sometimes contentious deliberation over public access, shoreline habitat, and neighborhood traffic on the city’s Lake Washington waterfront.

The plan authorizes restoration of approximately 420 feet of shoreline, replacement of a failing bulkhead with a gradual gravel beach, construction of an ADA-accessible loop trail, and 14 delineated parking stalls on Evergreen Point Road. It also preserves 27 of 31 significant trees on the site and commits $380,000 to a five-year monitoring program for water quality and juvenile Chinook salmon habitat.

As 2 Line Reaches Downtown Bellevue, Council Bets on Housing and Transit-Oriented Growth

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 08:30:00 -0700

BELLEVUE, Wash. — One month after Sound Transit’s 2 Line began full service through downtown Bellevue to Seattle, the Bellevue City Council on Tuesday advanced the most ambitious housing and land-use package in the city’s history: zoning for an estimated 12,000 additional homes within a half-mile of four light-rail stations by 2044.

The 5-2 vote directs staff to prepare final ordinances for mid-rise apartments along Bel-Red Road, taller residential towers near the Spring District and Wilburton stations, and streamlined design review for projects that include at least 15 percent income-restricted units.

Issaquah Pairs Salmon Hatchery Upgrade With Lake Sammamish Trail Restoration

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 07:45:00 -0700

ISSAQUAH, Wash. — Against the backdrop of returning Chinook salmon thrashing up Issaquah Creek, city and state officials on Friday announced paired investments that link fish recovery to downtown revitalization: a $6.8 million modernization of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery and a 1.3-mile restoration of the Rainier Trail and Lake Sammamish shoreline.

The hatchery, operated by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and owned by the city since 1936, releases about 2 million Chinook and coho smolts annually. The upgrade — funded by $4.1 million from the state capital budget, $1.7 million from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and $1 million from the nonprofit Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery (FISH) — will replace raceways dating to the 1970s, install recirculating water systems to reduce disease, and add an educational viewing bridge accessible under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

About The Eastside Ledger

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -0700

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The Eastside Ledger is an independent, nonpartisan local news publication serving Medina, Bellevue, Issaquah, and neighboring Eastside communities.

We focus on verifiable, on-the-record journalism: city council votes, budgets, planning decisions, school levies, transportation projects, and environmental stewardship.

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We cite public records and named sources wherever possible.
We issue corrections promptly and transparently.
We do not accept payment for coverage.
Opinion content, when published, is clearly labeled.

Editor: M. R. Calloway
City Hall Reporters: J. Alvarez (Bellevue), S. Park (Medina / Clyde Hill), D. Okafor (Issaquah / Sammamish)
Copy Desk: Ledger Staff

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Mon, 28 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -0700

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