Bellevue to begin regulating megahouses as early as fall

Bellevue city officials will take action as soon as this fall to regulate "megahomes," multistory houses that tower over their smaller and older neighbors.

The City Council on Monday night told the Planning Commission to pursue 15 regulations dealing with everything from building height and debris removal to loss of sunlight and tree retention.

Council members said some of the restrictions are more pressing and less complicated and could be approved this fall, while others may not ever become law. The council should make its final decision on all the regulations by early next year.

City officials said they want to balance property rights with neighborhood character, but it's clear that restrictions are needed. Some neighborhoods in West and Northwest Bellevue are inundated with tear-downs, some of which don't gel with the neighboring bungalows from the 1950s and '60s, officials said.

"There's a lot of [redevelopment] that's very exciting," said Deputy Mayor John Chelminiak. "But there's some of it... that's just way out of scale."

The council said some restrictions could be approved as soon as this fall:

• Measure the height of new homes by the grade before construction instead of after. Some builders get around height restrictions — and create homes that tower over neighbors — by adding several feet of dirt under the new foundation.

• Require a certain percentage of trees on the lot to be preserved, perhaps 15 percent or more. Under current city law, an entire lot can be cleared of vegetation.

"That just amazes me that we allow that to happen," said Mayor Grant Degginger. "That every limb, every stick can be removed."

• Four requirements for residential construction sites: weekly removal of debris, a sign posted in advance of construction, building guidelines distributed to developers and cleanup of abandoned work sites.

The council also is considering several other restrictions, though council members had mixed reactions. Limitations on lot coverage and the shadows cast by large homes could infringe too much on property rights, said Councilman Phil Noble.

Chelminiak said some limitations are necessary, but "I don't think we need to have a knee-jerk reaction that throws the baby out with the bathwater."

Some of the other restrictions under consideration include a requirement for vegetation in front yards, a ban on combining lots for one home and limitations on the placement of ventilation units.

Ashley Bach: 206-464-2567 or abach@seattletimes.com