The Sammamish City Council on July 15 directed city staff to advance the “action” alternative in the draft supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) for the Sammamish Town Center subarea, asking planners to study code and plan changes that would allow up to 4,000 housing units and streamlined permitting for mixed‑use, mid‑rise and low‑rise development.

Councilmember Pamela Stewart moved to approve the action alternative and said the step did not itself change city law. “This is not taking legislative action…This is so that we can get more of our questions answered,” Stewart said during the council discussion before the vote.

Why it matters: The council’s decision signals a shift toward studying larger, denser housing options in the city’s core after the city’s 2024 comprehensive plan update and new state laws on housing. City staff and the SEIS authors said denser, mixed‑use development in centers is the primary way to add the kinds of housing types that meet deeper affordability bands required by recent state guidance, while opponents warned the plan could strain evacuation routes, stormwater systems and neighborhood character.

Staff, consultants and council members framed the vote as the next procedural step — a direction to prepare a final SEIS and potential code drafts for public review rather than an immediate land‑use change. David Pyle, director of Community Development, told the council the city will “review and respond to every comment” received on the draft SEIS and that a final SEIS and potential legislative action would follow, likely late 2026.

What the action alternative would study: The SEIS compares a no‑action option (the current plan, with a 2,000‑unit cap in the town center) and an action alternative that tests up to 4,000 units, a new form‑based hybrid zoning map concentrated around 220th Avenue and Fourth Street, streamlined administrative review and incentives for affordable housing. Jeff Arango, the city’s SEIS consultant, told the council the town‑center code is difficult to administer and that the action alternative was designed to test whether regulatory changes would make mid‑rise and low‑rise housing types financially feasible.

Supporters said denser, mixed‑use development could expand housing choices and reduce per‑unit infrastructure costs. Developer Matt Samwick, CEO of Innovation Realty Partners, told the council the company has invested in area infrastructure — including a $5,200,000 regional stormwater system and more than $750,000 in sewer upgrades — and urged the city to continue studying denser options. “That kind of forward thinking leadership is exactly what Sammamish needs,” Samwick said during public comment.

Opponents raised concerns about traffic, emergency evacuation and environmental impacts. Multiple speakers cited the city’s 2022 evacuation study and asked for more detailed modeling, while fisheries biologist Wally Perera and other commenters flagged runoff risks to Ebright Creek and Lake Sammamish kokanee. Jeff Arango said the SEIS incorporated a 2023 stormwater study that found installing new stormwater facilities as part of town‑center redevelopment would improve drainage compared with the current unmanaged condition.

School capacity and demographics were debated. The SEIS team noted Lake Washington School District projections that district enrollment may decline about 15 percent between 2028 and 2035; the SEIS memorandum from the district is included in the agenda packet. Council members discussed student‑generation rates presented by the district and by commenters: multifamily development historically generates far fewer students per unit than detached single‑family housing, the council heard.

Regulatory and state context: Staff cited several recent state actions and guidance that shaped the analysis: Senate Bill 5148 (2025) and earlier housing‑capacity guidance tied to HB 1220 and countywide planning policies. City staff warned that failure to show sustained progress in producing the types of housing identified by the state could lead to increased state oversight or required corrective measures under the updated statutes.

Fiscal and infrastructure notes: Finance and development staff explained that the city’s impact‑fee structure and developer investments typically fund streets, stormwater and parks tied to new development. Matt Brammeier and other staff presented summary estimates of potential street and park impact‑fee revenues under the action alternative; they also noted major ongoing contractual expenditures such as the Eastside Fire & Rescue contract, which rose about 15 percent in the current budget year and is a significant general‑fund cost.

Council decision and next steps: The motion to direct staff to pursue the action alternative passed after debate. The council’s direction requires staff to produce a final SEIS, respond to public comments, and prepare draft plan and code amendments for additional public hearings by the planning commission and council. Pyle said the next formal steps include a final SEIS, likely public hearings before the planning commission, and potential council legislative action in late 2026.

The council did not adopt code changes or rezone property during the July 15 meeting; any binding zoning or regulatory changes would require future legislative votes and additional public review.