Residents urge caution, vote or study as Sammamish Town Center proposals draw public concern

Public comment at the March 4 Sammamish City Council meeting focused heavily on the proposed Town Center expansion with several speakers urging additional study, a public vote, or stronger environmental review.

Tom O’Dell, who identified himself as a 35‑year resident and former council member, said he reviewed more than 200 public comments on the Town Center item and tallied responses: “Of the 200 comments, we had 11 people who were coming in favor of town center…169 who were against—84.5%,” he told the council and urged an advisory or binding referendum so residents could “have a role in the decision.”

Fisheries biologist and long‑time resident Wally Pereira said much of the Town Center lies in the Ebright Creek watershed and raised runoff and flooding concerns that he said have worsened over decades. Pereira asked the council to pause further Town Center expansion and undertake a full analysis of runoff and traffic impacts to the city and its kokanee salmon spawning habitat.

Others voiced differing perspectives. Mary Wichter, who has followed city planning and water‑district meetings for years, said Town Center is a possible place to locate denser, stacked housing that could reduce pressure on vacant lots and lower long‑term infrastructure costs; she also noted improvements to stormwater standards since earlier eras of development.

Paul Stickney and other commenters urged careful consideration of fee‑in‑lieu rules and how the city will treat replacements, additions and exemptions when assessing affordable‑housing fees tied to development.

Why it matters: Speakers linked the Town Center debate to broader concerns about housing mix, stormwater, infrastructure cost and fiscal sustainability. Several urged more public engagement before major approvals. The comments were submitted during the public‑comment portion of the meeting; no council action on Town Center was taken at this session.