Commission adds owner‑builder exemption, raises small‑unit threshold in affordable‑housing in‑lieu draft after public concern

The Sammamish City Planning Commission voted April 17 to forward proposed changes to the city’s affordable‑housing chapter (SMC 21.10) to the City Council, but added a commission amendment to exempt owner‑builders — residents building a new single‑family home they will occupy — from the draft fee‑in‑lieu requirement. The commission also endorsed staff’s recommendation to raise the small‑unit exemption from 1,000 square feet to 1,500 square feet and asked the council for further study of exemption sizes and market impacts.

Why it matters: the in‑lieu fee and inclusionary‑housing approach affect how new development contributes to a citywide affordable‑housing fund or provides on‑site affordable units. Public commenters at the meeting said the fee structure could impose a heavy cost on long‑time landowners and on residents building homes for their own use.

Public comment and concerns: several residents urged the commission to reconsider the application of the fee to small…