Carnation's Rallying Around Tractor Bob -- Volunteers Will Help Repair Ramshackle House

CARNATION

Tractor Bob is in trouble.

Robert Andrealli, 75, a well-known, much-loved fixture in the lower Snoqualmie Valley, has run afoul of building regulations.

Under an order from King County code enforcers, Andrealli's ramshackle century-old house can no longer be occupied. The tilting house was built with square-cut logs and dovetail corners in 1890 and last remodeled in 1928.

An acute bronchial condition forced Andrealli to move out recently. He's been staying in town with a friend, but he had hoped to return home soon - before the county stepped in last Tuesday.

Word that the county has tagged the run-down house as unfit for occupation has galvanized this usually quiet town of 1,700 souls.

"They can't do that to Bob - he's an icon in this valley," one said.

Dale Davidson, who runs Miller's Dry Goods on Tolt Avenue, says Andrealli has struggled all his life to take care of himself but always found time to lend a hand to others. He's known for stopping to fix flat tires, trimming grass and for years has set out a widow's garbage cans for the weekly pickup.

"In the spring, Andrealli tills half the vegetable gardens in town," Davidson said. "And he helps other farmers put up hay. All without asking for pay."

Offers to help him are pouring in - an architect will advise on structural repairs, a contractor with a crane will lift the house to reset the foundation and donate a truck and other equipment for cleanup. An electrician will rewire the place, a roofer will put on a new roof for the cost of materials, a woodworker will contribute cabinets, and about $200 has been deposited in a fund at the local Seafirst Bank branch.

It isn't known how much it would cost to make repairs that would meet county building codes. Andrealli's land is assessed at $27,900 - low because he has it in the county's open-space program. The "dwelling," listed as having 890 square feet, is assessed at $100. He is billed a total of $481.09 in property taxes a year.

However, county records show that Andrealli's tax payments are three years delinquent and he could face foreclosure on his property.

Beth Stern, a neighbor, who with Isabel Jones is coordinating the volunteers, says Carnation folks are sometimes on opposite sides when it comes to local politics, but helping Tractor Bob is nonpartisan.

Roger Thorsen, who owns the Carnation Tree Farm, summed up the community reaction: "magical - like the town is healing."

Volunteers can sign up at a community meeting at 7 p.m. April 5 at the Sno-Valley Senior Center, 4610 Stephens Ave.

Andrealli was a small boy in 1930 when his Italian immigrant family moved into the house, just beyond the north edge of the town. For years, the family ran a herd of about 30 dairy cows. Andrealli never married and has lived there ever since.

He picked up the nickname "Tractor Bob" driving his green tractor downtown to work odd jobs.

A World War II veteran who served in the South Pacific, he now lives on a $430-a-month Social Security pension. That covers his overhead for the farm, food and taxes, which he says are much too high.

Every day, he tramps around his farm, feeding his small herd of cattle and his cats. When the weather is bad, he just sits in his car, filled with personal belongings, on 329th Avenue Northeast.

Time has taken a toll on his two-story home, perched on a wooded hillside overlooking the 40-acre farm. Outside, the yard is littered with old farm machinery, rusting cars and trucks, tumbledown sheds and a decrepit trailer.

It's messy, but Andrealli and his friends say he uses everything that others might consider junk. Besides, it doesn't bother anyone.

Well, no one except the officials in the King County Department of Development and Environmental Services. And maybe a few recent arrivals who live in the pricey new homes on the Sammamish Plateau.

One of the latter called the county complaining about having to drive past a vacant burned-out house down the road from Andrealli. The complainant also mentioned Andrealli's house, saying places like it diminish property values.

While checking out the burned-out house, the inspector spotted Andrealli's property and tagged it.

Ken Dinsmore, head of code enforcement, said Andrealli's place is substandard. In addition, there's a mobile home on the site without proper permits. And storing inoperable vehicles and debris is illegal.

Told about the outpouring of concern for Andrealli, Dinsmore said, "If we spurred that, it's great. I wish this would happen more often, where someone helps out."

Meanwhile, Andrealli, who in the past has refused offers of assistance, is taking the whole thing philosophically. Sitting in his car, scratching stubbly gray whiskers, he said, "I want to stay here. And if they want to help, that's fine."