BELLEVUE, Wash. — Bellevue officials say they've reached an agreement with the owners of a house damaged in landslide to allow them to remove the structure.
The family will also be able to safely salvage their property.
This resolution comes after city officials announced on Monday they were taking legal action to move forward with the demolition.
The home in the Somerset neighborhood was substantially damaged on Jan. 17 after a landslide and water main break.
A Jan. 27 structural report from Pacific Engineering Technologies, Inc. found the wood structure was pushed off its foundation to the south and was still leaning downhill about 10 days after the incident. The company wrote the structure is unstable and was a safety hazard for people, the nearby street and structures.
Last week, the city asked property owners John and Barbara Surdi and their lawyer if they could enter the property and demolish the house. The Surdis have not given the city consent to do so, according to court documents.
The owners' main point of contention, according to their lawyer, was the ability to salvage as much as they can from the house.
Neighbors are still unable to return to five other nearby homes due to the damaged home's proximity.
A contractor will begin the demolition work and recover any of the homeowners' property that can be safely salvaged. That work will begin as soon as early next week, Bellevue officials said.