Council workshop weighs code 'cleanups' and a contentious change to inclusionary housing exemptions; staff directed to refine language for June public hearing

Sammamish City Council held a detailed workshop on May 6 to consider a first round of “code cleanup” amendments implementing the city’s 2025 docket. Staff presented a series of largely technical edits — definitions, subdivision process clarifications, building height measurement, sidewall height rules, and fence/retaining‑wall wording — and also flagged changes prompted by the State Department of Commerce related to emergency and permanent supportive housing and the city’s inclusionary affordable‑housing rules.

David Pyle of the Department of Community Development said the package is intended to be “minor” adjustments to make the code more administrable. Highlights presented to council included: adding an Area Median Income definition to the affordable housing chapter; moving final subdivision approval authority for short subdivisions to the hearing examiner (citing RCW 58.17.100 and Senate Bill 5674 as the statutory basis for that authority in other jurisdictions); simplifying building‑height measurement to a single plane…