A 39-acre parcel of North Bend that has been slated for residential development for nearly three years was sold last week, to two home building companies. Owners Segale Properties of Kirkland sold most of the property, on Southeast Tanner Road, to Toll Brothers, and the remainder, in a smaller parcel, to Murry Franklyn.

With the sale of the property, both builders are expected to renew the work on developing the site, which has been at preliminary plat stage for about two years. Segale began the permitting process for the development in 2014, getting city approval on a preliminary plat which divides the parcel into 156 residential lots.

Residents of the neighboring 50-home community took several opportunities to raise concerns about the development during the preliminary plat public hearing process. They worried that the road into the neighborhood could not support the increased traffic volumes, that runoff from so much new construction could affect the water quality because much of the city is in a critical aquifer recharge area, and that the construction would negatively affect the privacy of their neighborhood and wildlife habitat.

Grading permits for the site are expected to be approved by this fall, according to city planner Mike McCarty. An engineering review will also be required in the future.