Washington couple spends nearly $300,000 trying to build a home on their 66-acre family land, but now claims they are being asked to surrender 44.2 acres

A Washington couple says their plan to build a family home on a 66-acre property has turned into a years-long regulatory dispute, with nearly $300,000 spent on permits, studies and other requirements and a reported demand to place 44.2 acres of the land under a permanent deed restriction.

Tyler and Wendy Chambers purchased the property in rural Chelan County, Washington, in 2021. According to an account published by AgWeb, the land was residentially zoned and had power, public utility district water, fibre connectivity and paved-road access. The couple planned to build a home and pole barn, plant an orchard and potentially leave space for their children and grandchildren to build on the property.

Read more - Quote of the day by Marie Curie: 'A scientist in his laboratory is not a mere technician: he is also a child confronting...' Life lessons from Nobel Prize-winning scientist on the power of asking questions

Washington couple's dream home faces years of regulatory hurdles

According to Chambers, he approached the county before beginning construction and hired engineers, a surveyor and other specialists to assess the property.

The couple says they subsequently had to complete a series of studies covering areas including stormwater, erosion, spotted owls, golden eagles, deer, shrubsteppe and geotechnical conditions. Chambers told AgWeb that the process became increasingly expensive as additional requirements were added.

“At the start, we naively believed if we followed the rules, everything would be fine. We were wrong and terribly misled,” Chambers told the outlet.

He also recalled the cost and difficulty of the geotechnical assessment.

“They kept requesting more and more. We had to do a geotech report where they drilled all over our land. The specialist drove two-and-a-half hours from Seattle, and he kept scratching his head, asking, ‘Why are you having to do this to build a house?’ All I could tell him was, ‘I don’t know,’” Chambers said.

Chelan County home project becomes subject to SEPA review

The property eventually became subject to a review under Washington's State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) process.

Washington State Department of Ecology records show that the property was involved in a Chelan County SEPA process linked to code-enforcement matters involving excavation and grading. The records identify Chelan County as the lead agency and Chambers as the applicant.

The case also involved environmental mitigation and a geologically hazardous site assessment, according to records reviewed by other reports.

Washington land dispute: Why 44.2 acres became the focus

The most significant point of contention is a reported requirement that 44.2 acres, or roughly two-thirds of the couple's 66-acre property, be placed under a permanent deed restriction as environmental mitigation.

The 44.2-acre figure is based on Chambers' account of the regulatory process. Public records reviewed in reports confirm the SEPA and mitigation proceedings, but do not independently establish all of the couple's characterisation of the deed restriction.

Chambers said he was shocked by the requirement.

“We were completely shocked. They demanded almost everything we owned, meaning 44 acres of our private property placed in a deed restriction; two-thirds of our land. It was obvious that everything we’d been required to do up to that point was part of a fixed game. I can’t properly describe the emotional damage to my wife, Wendy, and the loss of faith we’ve suffered in our county and state, along with extreme financial and mental stress. We’ve been targeted, and I know we are the only ones in Chelan County’s history ever to do a SEPA for a regular house,” he told the outlet.

Couple says home construction has cost nearly $300,000

Chambers says the regulatory process has cost the family nearly $300,000, covering studies, engineering work and other requirements connected with the proposed development.

The expenses reportedly included wildlife and environmental assessments as well as geotechnical investigations. The couple says each completed study was followed by additional requirements.

The case has also involved appeals and hearings. A Chelan County Hearing Examiner agenda from February 2025 identified an appeal concerning a SEPA determination issued to Chambers in October 2024, involving environmental mitigation associated with code-enforcement violations related to excavation and grading.

Consultant challenges 44-acre deed restriction requirement

Chambers hired environmental consultant Glen Grette of Grette Associates, now Farallon Consulting, to assist with the case.

According to reports based on the hearing, Grette testified that mitigation was not intended to take the form of a permanent deed restriction.

The dispute has therefore centred not only on the environmental assessments but also on the extent and form of mitigation required before the proposed home can proceed.

Washington property dispute: Couple says neighbours built homes without similar demands

Chambers and his broker, Jeff Hallman, have questioned why the property faced such extensive requirements compared with other nearby developments.

Hallman, a Washington real-estate broker, has criticised the handling of the case, while Chambers has pointed to nearby development as part of his argument that his property has been treated differently.

However, comparisons with other properties have not been independently established as evidence that the same regulatory requirements should or should not have applied to the Chambers property.

Tyler Chambers says he will still build the home

Despite the prolonged dispute and financial costs, Chambers says he remains determined to complete the project.

“I’ve learned that if you stay silent or try to appease, your situation only gets worse. I’m a changed man now, and I’m not afraid to speak out against governmental abuse at all levels. One thing is certain: We will build our home on our own land,” he said.

For the Chambers family, the dispute has transformed what began as a plan to build a home and establish a long-term family property into a complicated battle involving environmental reviews, excavation rules, mitigation requirements and property rights.

The publicly available records establish the SEPA and code-enforcement proceedings, while claims about the nearly $300,000 expenditure and the 44.2-acre permanent restriction remain attributed to the couple and the reports documenting their account.


Inputs from TOI