Barring unforeseen circumstances, the city of Bellevue will soon grow by 100 acres. That's the size of developer Jeff Pfaeffle's property in Slaughterhouse Canyon, which is set to be annexed into the city limits by the of January 22.
About half of those acres, and additional property already within Bellevue, will be used for Pfaeffle's proposed Strahorn subdivision. Under the subdivision's development proposal, up to 170 houses would be built during four construction phases.
Pfaeffle's property is adjacent to Bellevue's northeastern city limits and is undeveloped.
The city has hosted 16 meetings on Pfaeffle's request since it was filed in 2005.
On Thursday night the City Council approved a first reading of an annexation agreement under which Pfaeffle will give the city $5,146,300 in cash, property and city infrastructure improvements in exchange for hooking up to city services. The payments would be made when final build-out occurs, which could take many years.
The required infrastructure improvements include money to be used for building parking spaces, fencing, and ball park improvements at O'Donnell Park, city street improvements and a portion of the city's share to build a stop light required to accommodate increased traffic associated with the development.
These improvements will cost the developer about $1 million.
Under the proposed agreement, Pfaeffle will pay the city $500,000 in annexation fees in five years, or when he begins Phase 1 of the development. He will then pay the city three payments of $250,000 each every five years, or at the time he begins each of the remaining three phases.
"If the market does not warrant development, the city of Bellevue will still receive benefits under this agreement," Pfaeffle said earlier this month.
During the first reading of the annexation agreement, the city council voted to require that the city be given first position on the title for the property in case the development is unsuccessful. The council also wants to judge the possible environmental hazards an existing mineshaft could pose on 60 acres of land Pfaeffle is giving to the city on the eastern end of the canyon.
The council will have The Department of Environmental Quality to carry out toxicity tests for free on gravel that has been collected at the mine entrance.
City Administrator Tom Blanchard said the city staff is doing its "due didligence" with regard to this complex annexation request.
"If any other issue shows up surrounding this annexation, we will stop the process and investigate it," he said.
The council will hold the second of three public readings of the annexation agreement at its Jan. 22 meeting.
Pfaeffle's property is one of three parcels Bellevue was considering for annexation last year. Harry Rinker and John Scherer both withdrew annexation requests on the south side of the city.
