Sammamish staff to study impacts of up-to-4,000-unit Town Center alternative; public raises traffic, schools and evacuation concerns

Sammamish City staff told the Planning Commission on Feb. 20 that they will prepare a supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) and draft Town Center code updates after receiving more than 200 written comments on the SEIS scope. The SEIS scoping will compare a no-action alternative tied to the current Town Center plan (about 2,000 residential units) with an action alternative that would study accommodating up to 4,000 units and potential increases in building height in the core area.

The SEIS kickoff was presented by Matt Brandmeier, the city’s deputy director of community development, who said the purpose is “to study capacity and environmental impacts and then potentially how would we mitigate those impacts.” Brandmeier said the City Council directed staff to move forward with the posted scope and asked staff to evaluate at least one additional alternative and to disclose study results to the public before the council makes any decision.

Why this matters: The Town Center occupies a central role in the city’s effort to expand housing types and affordable units while also preserving public amenities. Residents and commissioners said the SEIS should examine transportation, school and public-service capacity, utilities and stormwater, environmental impacts (including tree canopy and wildlife), and emergency evacuation and response for wildfire and earthquake scenarios.

Staff described the process and timeline. The city posted scoping materials in early January and received 200-plus responses by the end of the month. Brandmeier said the draft SEIS is tentatively scheduled for release and commission review in early May, followed…