Neighbors of Bellevue’s new Lake Hills Village development say construction is causing major flooding in their yards. When the residents didn’t get what they wanted from the developer or city, they called me.
It’s summertime in Bellevue and all Brenda Michael can think about is flooding.
“The property damage, we can’t use our own yards,” explained Michael.
The Lake Hill Village project is behind Michael’s home. She and other neighbors feel the issue is tied to land behind the homes. It used to be close to flat so water in their back yard would run off. When construction started developers raised the ground close to four feet and built a wall.
“There is no place for the water from our yard to go as well as the fact that the water from their property seeps through the wall. There is no seal, it’s just gravel on the backside of the wall,” explained Michael.
Ed Dumitrescu lives next door to Michael. Even in 90 degree heat, you can see some of the bricks in the wall are wet. Dumitrescu said the wall is also falling apart.
Neighbors have spent months trying to get the developer, Cosmos Management Corporation, to fix the runoff issues before seasonal rain moves in.
“The developer has been very unfriendly and very unwilling to work with us on these matters,” said Michael.
According to Mike Brennan, the Director of Developmental Services for the City of Bellevue, his department is deeply involved in the situation and both sides were in mediation.
“I’m hopeful that we find resolution that the property owners and the developer have addressed the concerns in a way that they can walk away feeling okay,“ said Brennan.
But no solution was found and a couple of weeks after my discussion with Brennan the City of Bellevue filed a notice of civil violation against the developer. The notice said the concrete wall has altered natural drainage patterns causing accumulation of storm water on adjacent residential properties.
Oscar Del Moro, the man who’s running the project for the developer, wouldn’t comment because it’s a civil case. The developer did tell me that the flooding is caused by the neighbors own drains and spouts.
It offered to put drains and a new drainage system in their backyards but the owners would have to maintain them.
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