Working together to enjoy and protect Somerset’s look, feel, and views
Somerset is a community in Bellevue, Washington, long-coveted for its spectacular views, which are protected by Covenants.
The current Covenants are ambiguous, leaving too much room for interpretation and often leading to legal disputes between neighbors.
Our mission is to educate Somerset homeowners about the Covenants, and work with our community to develop clear Covenants that provide simple, sensible, and sustainable protections of Somerset’s look, feel, and views.
Somerset is comprised of 25 Divisions and there are 17 different Covenants documents.
How much of your home’s view is actually protected?
The Covenants Review Committee (CRC) determines whether a remodel request conforms to the Covenants and View Guidelines. The current CRC recently changed the longstanding View Guidelines, omitting important definitions that served to protect our views.
A tale of two stories…
Many Somerset homes were built in the 1960s and are due for remodeling, which has introduced a growing concern about second story additions and how they will affect surrounding neighbors. The current CRC recently approved a second story addition that will impair the views and privacy of uphill neighbors, while similar cases have been denied in the past.