Sammamish council opens scoping for town‑center SEIS after broad public pushback over 4,000‑unit proposal

The Sammamish City Council opened scoping for a supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) on proposed Town Center plan and code amendments that would study whether to increase capacity in the Town Center by 2,000 units (to a total of 4,000) and evaluate raising building heights in limited areas up to 150 feet.

The study’s purpose is to disclose possible environmental and community impacts and to give decisionmakers updated information before any legislative changes are adopted. David Pyle, director of Community Development, told the council the SEIS is a disclosure document and “the decision is up to the planning commission...and ultimately the council.” He said the city opted to run a scoping period that exceeds state minimums to gather early public input and to avoid later scope changes that would require restarting the SEIS process.

Why it matters: The Town Center discussion drew the largest turnout of the night. More than 200 comments and in‑person public testimony focused on traffic, school capacity, stormwater and natural resource impacts, tree canopy loss, and the visual scale of taller buildings. The council said it wants data that shows whether the Town Center…