Bellevue sues school in connection with landslide that wiped out Somerset home

After a water main break and subsequent landslide knocked a house off its foundation, causing it to partially collapse in Bellevue’s Somerset neighborhood last year, the city of Bellevue is now suing a school that owns the property where a troublesome water pipe is located.

The incident on the morning of Jan. 17, 2022, caused the evacuation of 42 people in the neighborhood amid fears that other homes in the area might be unstable.

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Following the disaster, the city had to remove the collapsed home and clean up debris in the surrounding area to make the neighborhood safe.

To recover those costs, the city filed a lawsuit against Forest Ridge School on Thursday.

“The recent work done to excavate and examine the water pipe located above a Somerset home involved in a landslide last January has offered additional information that affects the city’s actions in this matter,” the city said in a statement.

Forest Ridge School owns the property where the pipe is located and had the pipe installed when the school was built.

The city said an examination into the site where the landslide occurred suggests that large amounts of fill dirt were placed on top of the pipe over the years, adding “significant weight and pressure,” according to the city.

“The City learned that this pipe separated at a joint due to factors outside the City’s control. Through this lawsuit, the City is seeking to recover the costs it spent when it had to remove the Surdi home and clean up the surrounding area in order to return the neighborhood to a safe state after the landslide. In light of the possibility that actions taken by the school could have contributed to the landslide, the City feels the school should be brought to the table as an involved party,” the city’s statement said.

When firefighters arrived at the scene last year, they noticed a large amount of water flowing around one home. Firefighters went to Forest Ridge Elementary above the home to investigate the source of the water, and when they returned, the home had slid halfway off its foundation, according to the Bellevue Fire Department.

The landslide decimated the home of John and Barb Surdi, who had lived in the house for 20 years.

There was a large debris field and 17 homes were evacuated within a half-mile radius of the slide.

Loaders were used to clear rocks and debris from the road.

The home was demolished about a month later.

Forest Ridge School released the following statement regarding the lawsuit:

Forest Ridge School is aware of the lawsuit filed today by the City of Bellevue against Forest Ridge School. Our attorneys are reviewing the lawsuit and we have no comment at this time. We remain committed to working with all parties involved to reach a resolution in this matter.

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