BELLEVUE, WA — Bellevue contractors began preparations Thursday to demolish a Somerset home that was swept off its foundation during a January landslide. The slide followed a major water main break in the early hours of Jan. 17, resulting in the partial collapse of one home and mandatory evacuations of several others over safety concerns.

Five other homes remain red-tagged, leaving families unable to return, as the city deemed the damage to the house presented an “imminently dangerous hazard” until it can be demolished and the area stabilized.

Earlier this month, Bellevue officials announced an agreement with the Surdi family, whose home was damaged beyond repair, which allowed city contractors to move forward with demolition plans while salvaging the items they could.

Preliminary work began Thursday and will continue through the month, with officials targeting early March to complete stabilization and cleanup work and allow neighbors to return to their homes.

Here is the timeline:

• Feb. 10: Preparation of the site begins.
• Feb. 14 – 18: Roadway cleanup, site protection and equipment mobilization.
• Feb. 19 – 25: Likely demolition dates and processing of debris.
• Feb. 28 – March 3: Site stabilization, cleanup and demobilization.

“Our number one priority through this process is to keep people safe and to remove the dangerous structure as soon, and as safely, as possible,” said Brad Miyake, Bellevue’s City Manager. “We’re grateful to the Surdi family (owners of the damaged home) for allowing the demolition process to begin. I also want to reassure the community that the city is deeply committed to helping the Somerset neighborhood recover from this unimaginable event.”

The city said the demolition site will be secured and monitored while work continues over the next several weeks, and officials will continue to provide daily updates to the impacted residents.

A multi-agency investigation into the cause of the water main break and the landslide is expected to take several months.