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Council approves Normandy Hills 90‑unit apartment site plan; developer and engineer address height and landscaping concerns
Summary
Bellevue City Council approved a site plan May 20 for a 90‑unit apartment development in the Normandy Hills neighborhood. Council questions focused on unit mix, building height, landscaping buffer and grading; the developer and the civil engineer described a stepped three‑story design and a retaining wall with landscaping.
The Bellevue City Council voted May 20 to approve a site plan for Lots 3A and 3B in the Normandy Hills subdivision, authorizing a multi‑family residential development of 90 units.
Chad Clatterbuck, representing the project and the applicant Charles R. Clatterbuck GST exempt trust, described the proposal as a three‑story building stepped down the slope. Clatterbuck said the complex will include a mix of one‑, two‑ and three‑bedroom units and that his company manages other Bellevue properties. He estimated market rents at about $1,300–$1,400 for three‑bedroom units, roughly $100 less for two‑bedroom units, and about $1,000–$1,100 for one‑bedroom units.
Council members asked about building height and the buffer between the southernmost building and nearby homes on Grenoble Drive. Cortino Ramirez, the project civil engineer, said the site grade drops roughly 20 feet from the southern property line into the project and described the edge treatment: “We actually have a 10 foot ... close to 20 feet. So it's a 10 foot retaining wall with an additional 10 feet of Grama slope,” Ramirez said, and added that the developer will install evergreen shrubs and trees as a landscape buffer.
Councilman Casey asked whether landscaping and buffer plans would screen the upper floor from neighboring yards; Ramirez and planning staff said the project sits lower than the existing homes to the south and that landscaping had been provided. Planning staff confirmed the buffer met the city’s requirements.
Motion and vote: Councilwoman Welch moved to approve item 14A; the motion was seconded by Councilwoman Collins. The council recorded an affirmative vote and the motion carried.
Why it matters: the approved project will add 90 rental units to the Normandy Hills neighborhood and includes design elements intended to reduce visual impacts on adjacent homes. The council and staff emphasized that grading, buffers and final permit requirements will be handled through the city’s plan‑review process.
