From their kitchen, Robert and Pat Rosell have a stunning view of the Mercer Slough blueberry farm. The couple, who has lived off Bellevue Way since 1988, jokes that they don’t need to turn on the news for a traffic report. If they look out their kitchen window, by mid-afternoon they can already see line of cars collecting on I-405.

Inside the traffic from both thoroughfares is no more than a hum, but when the couple steps onto their porch, they’re greeted by a wall of noise.

Now, as early estimates of sound and vibration impacts roll in on cost savings options for the East Link extension, some reports predict parts of the alignment, like that along Bellevue Way, may actually improve traffic noise.

East Link’s cost savings plan inched forward Monday night when city of Bellevue staff presented a review of the EIS Addendum on cost savings options. A visualization of the route was shared and a peer review identified early predictions for the sound and vibration impacts on the refined East Link extension.

An estimated 28 homes along Bellevue Way already exceed federal noise criteria. East Link’s impacts still are not widely understood, but reports suggest that East Link could offer an improvement of existing noise conditions, thanks in part to a sound wall and retaining wall that would likely encroach on properties like the Rosells’.

And by pooling the East Link project with the city’s construction of an HOV lane, Julie Wiebusch of the Green Busch Group said they could avoid subjecting the neighborhood to two projects. If shifted West with the HOV lane, mitigated project levels at Bellevue Way could improve ambient noise between three and 12 decibels (dBA).

But, interjected Councilmember Chelminiak: “The dominant factor for those homes is the view. So the tradeoff is the diminishment of view going out over the Slough, for less [decibels] at their house…That’s a very serious trade off for the homes that are on that bluff.”

As with any plan, the cost savings options are a balancing act. Shifting Bellevue Way would displace three more residences and result in 25 partial acquisitions. Employing the trench option on Southeast Fourth – widely supported by the Surrey Downs neighborhood — would be a $6 million to $11 million cost increase. It could reduce overall noise, but bells signaling train arrival still would be audible from neighboring homes. And downtown’s Northeast Sixth station, though it would mitigate vibration impacts to buildings like the Coast Plaza Hotel, would result in higher business displacement.

The Rosells said that when they moved in 25 years ago, the noise along Bellevue Way was half of what it is now.

“The unknowns are still greater than the knowns,” Robert said. “On the one hand, you want to believe they’re experts, that this is going to be just fine. But you see what’s happened in other areas, all these unintended consequences and negative impacts. We’re the ones living on the front lines. We have to bear it, not City Council or Sound Transit.”

Recently, stories from Rainier Valley’s Central Link alignment have caught the attention of Bellevue residents. Homes as far as 375 feet from the train are undergoing renovation and insolation efforts to account for noise traffic far greater than anything Sound Transit anticipated.

“The total count of homes is now up to 400 and growing at a rate of ten to 12 a week,” said Joe Rosmann at Monday’s meeting.

He worries that with East Link, homes in the Enatai, Bellefield, Bellecrest and Surrey Downs neighborhoods are at risk of the same noise complaints. The cost of retroactively mitigating these issues, residents worry, could eclipse any cost savings efforts.

And though Monday’s presentation seemed to suggest improved conditions for some sections of the alignment, members of the council pointed out the report had been conducted according to federal criteria, not Bellevue’s noise code.

A public hearing on cost savings efforts is scheduled for April 15. On April 22, the City Council will be asked for direction on cost savings options. Sound Transit will make its final decision on incorporating options into the alignment three days later.

To see Monday’s full presentation, click through.