Remarks by Katia Zakharoff
21 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 1 of 1
- Play at 46:11
“Thank you. So as Commissioner Morgan and Brennan mentioned, it was all done in 2009 through 2016, and that was the time when we really had a lot of development happening in the city. And I truly believe now we're in a little bit opposite situation. So we want the development to happen in the city and development now is struggling and it's hard to develop in the city. So instead of limiting, well, I would think we should let the developers have a little bit more freedoms or more freedoms. So, well, I'm working in Bellevue. I'm there every day. And Bellevue is growing. And the whole area, I'm…”
Planning Commission · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 1:02:22
“Thank you. Well, I think we should keep them only as visual inspirations and not as prescriptions, and definitely not as prescriptions of material that have to be used to build, just as a recommended visual inspiration for your design. You can use any materials, but that's kind of style that we want. Maybe that's the only reason to keep them. Thank you.”
Planning Commission · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 1:09:56
“Well, I would agree with Commissioner Adair on this. And yeah, I think we should keep the categories, but we should really be less prescriptive. And as for the color blue, you know, that bright blue appears in nature.”
Planning Commission · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 1:40:42
“Thank you so much. So I hope you can hear me well. Well, to me, the development bonus program is actually the program that should kind of allow developers to build more if they want to. But at the very same time, we want them to build more. So it's kind of like at this point, it's a little bit doesn't make sense. It's not like it doesn't make sense, but we want them to build more. We need more produced house units. So I would be in favor of eliminating development bonus program. Just completely.”
Planning Commission · Aug 20, 2026
- Play at 1:50:35
“Thank you so much. So should we be also thinking about increasing the floor area ratio from 2 to maybe 2.53? Should we talk about that?”
Planning Commission · Aug 20, 2026
- Play at 55:26
“Yeah, I would also like to see more information before we kind of talk about this, because right now we are celebrating the transportation area into development, the trailhead, but we don't have to forget that it was 10 years in the making. So yes, we are seven years into the plan, but we are actually like, we've been waiting for this for 10 years. So at any point in our area, there can be a problem with development. So if one part of me, again, wants to be very ambitious and I don't see a big difference between 62 and 65, and 65 sounds better and kind of like aligns with a Puget Sound…”
Planning Commission · Aug 13, 2026
- Play at 1:27:06
“So if you go to the Alfresco, and if you look at their plan, there is some ballroom dancing there on the 22nd and the 29th. And it's going to be me with some of my colleagues. We're going to be teaching. I'm not going to be dancing. No, no, no. I'm not dancing anymore. So we're going to be teaching 6 to 7 p.m. Just get confirmed with Christina Bruning. So, yep. Excellent. You're welcome to come and try it. So 22nd and 29th, 6 to 7 p.m. Okay. Two Saturdays.”
Planning Commission · Aug 13, 2026
- Play at 19:24
“I would actually like to say in support of Commissioner Holmstrom's proposal to include the deviations, I mean, to avoid deviations and to include all of this into the code.”
Planning Commission · Jul 23, 2026
- Play at 46:56
“I really forgot my question. Well, the question was, it's actually, it's a clarification. So during all of the changes of use, any change of use does not require the change in parking. Is that correct? Or are there any changes of use that would require change in parking, especially increase in parking spaces?”
Planning Commission · Jul 23, 2026
- Play at 1:09:11
“Well, it's the time. for deviations. I would still be on a position. I understand staff's position on this, but there are several different reasons why predictability is really needed for developers. And at this point, we really needed development in Issaquah to move on. So I would still like to see a possibility of including all of the possible design standards that can be used by developers into the code rather than use the deviation process. Because deviation process can make permitting or going through all of these processes longer. and take more money. And there is also several things…”
Planning Commission · Jul 23, 2026
- Play at 1:12:30
“Yeah, so, well, I completely understand the Vice Chair Patterson's position. The problem that I see here is this staff, this commission, probably this council, support this position on deviation. But we're trying to create a rule that will work for, not only for today, tomorrow, but 20 years from now, possibly. It will be a different staff, different commission, different council by that time, probably. And the rule should be working no matter what we are guaranteeing today. So it's kind of like, it feels like it's our promise that deviation will be looked at from this point of view. But, so…”
Planning Commission · Jul 23, 2026
- Play at 1:16:02
“i would think this is a kind of a topic in between transparency and the natural context context area so we have a lot of kind of buildings or projects that might be built in the area that will require deviations for their development and rather than currently requiring, rather than give it as a deviation, we should probably give an exact kind of development decision.”
Planning Commission · Jul 23, 2026
- Play at 1:32:37
“I think it's my turn. I make a motion to recommend approval of the proposed title. It's an amendment related to permitted uses for the UV commercial retail zone as presented.”
Planning Commission · Jul 23, 2026
- Play at 1:33:23
“I can just, just for the start of it. This motion is actually follows the, all of the new rule changes from that, I mean, from the state. So it's basically gives us no real room until we go. And we have on some of the slows, we're trying to go ahead and just makes, makes sense.”
Planning Commission · Jul 23, 2026
- Play at 1:35:17
“Well, I think I've already kind of said why we've started it, and I probably can answer the question, like, why now? Because everything takes time, and we only have, we only had, by what, like, 18 months or so in several cases. So, and anyways, development takes a lot of time, way more than 18 months, so why not now?”
Planning Commission · Jul 23, 2026
- Play at 1:37:39
“I would like to second this motion. Thank you.”
Planning Commission · Jul 23, 2026
- Play at 1:53:37
“Well, I myself did not notice this in the code as Commissioner Cross noticed, but it completely makes sense to me because I think all of the arguments were kind of correct, in my opinion, regarding the town homes getting into probably the most popular new way of property. And tandem parking is not the most comfortable way to park, definitely. People mostly have two cars or more if they're living in a million-dollar townhomes that are currently on the market. And I think this is something that is needed. I think it has a purpose. And that's why I completely seconded it, and I'm in favor.”
Planning Commission · Jul 23, 2026
- Play at 2:00:12
“I would like to kind of follow up a little bit on my question regarding parking and change of use that we have discussed. We did not discuss much a change of use except for commercial into non-commercial. I would like to propose, I don't know if it's going to be an amendment or at least a recommendation, to make sure that the change of use from one type of commercial to another type of commercial will not trigger any change in parking laws unless it's required by the state law.”
Planning Commission · Jul 23, 2026
- Play at 2:09:24
“To remove the proposal, to remove minimums, just remove the proposal, remove minimums.”
Planning Commission · Jul 23, 2026
- Play at 2:21:26
“Every weekend in August, the front street will be closed. Oh, for the... For Saturday and Sunday, and there will be different activities. Oh, that's right.”
Planning Commission · Jul 23, 2026
- Play at 2:21:52
“I know every weekend in August because I was asked if anybody from dance community can participate and they probably will and you might see me or not see me.”
Planning Commission · Jul 23, 2026