Sammamish council apologizes for Inglewood letter; residents press for formal, legal confirmation streets are public

Mayor Karen Howe apologized to Inglewood residents on Tuesday for a city letter that prompted “dismay, concern, and frankly fear,” and said the council voted June 3 to continue serving streets historically maintained by the city while staff seek a permanent resolution.

The apology came at a special Sammamish City Council meeting called largely to hear public comment from Inglewood residents and neighbors. Howe said the city is “sincerely trying to repair the damage we caused” and has posted a revised letter and an FAQ on the city website; she also invited residents to a follow-up meeting Thursday evening in City Hall chambers.

The issue centers on a city communication sent roughly two weeks earlier that city officials acknowledged was “tone deaf and truly unhelpful.” Several residents in the council chamber and online described fear and confusion after receiving the communication and urged the council to make a clear, written determination that the streets in the Inglewood plat are public and will remain maintained by the city.

Resident Tracy Sierra, who said she has lived in the Inglewood plat for nearly a decade, told the council: “Agreeing on legal public record that the Inglewood Platt Streets are public is protecting the city and all its residents.” Sierra praised the council for dropping a June 30 deadline and said the apology was welcome but “not enough.”

Other residents described continuing storm-related damage across the plateau, safety hazards where sidewalks or crosswalks do not exist, vehicles striking pedestrians and bicyclists, and continuing tarp-covered roofs left from a prior storm event. Julianne Wallace described two recent pedestrian struck incidents near Inglewood Hill Road and urged attention to roadside safety and walkability.

Council members said they have met with neighbors in the plat, held a Coffee with Council session in the neighborhood and will compile public comments into the FAQ. Howe said staff are researching “an amenable and workable and viable and legal solution” and will present additional information at Thursday’s meeting.

Officials stressed limits on immediate responses during public comment but promised to document and add remarks to the FAQ. Several residents said rebuilding trust will take time and asked the council for clear, written commitments. The meeting moved on to other agenda items after the city’s public comment period concluded, and staff held a scheduled follow-up session with Inglewood residents on Thursday.

The council meeting record shows no new formal ordinance or binding legal change adopted on Tuesday; Howe’s statement that the council had previously voted June 3 to continue serving the streets was presented as a factual update from council action earlier in the month.

Residents who asked to speak at the meeting were invited to submit written materials and were told staff would incorporate questions and answers into the FAQ posted on the city website.