More than 11 acres of land could be developed in the Westhill neighborhood of Bothell pending a hearings examiner decision.
The ruling is the final hurdle for the Toll Brothers development company in a nearly two-year process to develop the land into 32 residential plots.
The nationwide home development company has been active in Bothell since 1989 and builds what they describe as “luxury homes.” The company constructed the Timber Creek development in North Creek.
The six plots sit across State Route 522 from the Wayne Golf Course on top of a forested hill, just south of Northeast 173rd Street.
Steep slopes along the southern and easter borders of the property would not be developed.
The Westhill site is zoned to only allow construction of one single-family house every 9,600 square feet per lot, but Toll Brothers Vice President Aaron Hollingbery said at the March 29 hearings examiner meeting they will be constructing under a ‘green public unit (PUD) development’ criteria.
Green PUD allows developers to build smaller lots, but not more, increasing the chance city staff will approve a project and preserving more natural vegetation.
It preserves around one acre of forest land, where Hollingbery said they could construct a walking trail.
A traffic study presented by the developer said the two access roads, Hall Road and Northeast 175th Street, would see increased traffic.
During rush hour, traffic would nearly double along Hall Road, from 20 vehicles an hour traveling both ways to 39.
Northeast 175th Street would increase from 70 to 89 vehicles passing through each way during rush hour.
But the study did not include congestion along SR 522 possibly pushing drivers through neighborhoods.
Jeff Smith, senior planner for the city, said staff recommended the hearings examiner approve the development.
Around 35 people showed up to the hearings examiner meeting, many of whom expressed concerns over increasing traffic and what they view as inadequate structure.
One resident said a portion of Hall Road was only 17-feet wide, barely enough for two cars to pass each other without parked vehicles on the roadside, which he said is common.
The hearings examiner will have until April 11 to make ruling.
