Sammamish staff outline broad Title 21 code cleanup; public hearing set for Feb. 3

Planning staff and council spent the bulk of the Jan. 6 Sammamish City Council meeting reviewing a package of proposed amendments to Sammamish Municipal Code Title 21 intended to correct drafting errors, clarify definitions adopted with recent middle-housing rules, and close identified loopholes.

David Pyle, a city planning staffer who introduced the item, told the council the changes arose from a docket created in late 2024 to adjust development regulations after implementation: "We knew at the time that we didn't have everything right, and we knew that there might be some adjustments," he said.

Avril Beatty, planning and permit center manager, outlined specific proposals the Planning Commission recommended after three rounds of review. Among the principal changes: a definition for "cottage housing" that would set a 1,500-square-foot home-size threshold (the garage would be excluded from that total); a clarified accessory dwelling unit (ADU) definition that emphasizes independent living space and exterior or common access; an "area-wide rezoning" classification to clarify applicability in the quasi-judicial rezoning process; and refinements to unit-lot subdivision language to allow intended flexibility for duplexes and other middle-housing configurations.

"We discovered some snags. We discovered things that were out of date. We discovered things that were moot," Beatty said in summarizing the staff effort to tidy up code language. Staff also proposed returning shoreline substantial development permits for many residential docks to a Type 2 staff decision (appealable to the Shorelines Hearings Board) rather than automatically sending them to the hearing examiner, a change staff said would streamline reviews for low-controversy dock permits.

A notably detailed part of the discussion centered on the city's 3,000-square-foot footprint limit. Staff recommended removing that footprint cap from ground-floor areas and instead applying a 3,000-square-foot limit only to floors above grade or floors not used as primary access, while allowing a one-time cumulative 300-square-foot expansion for upper floors to accommodate accessibility modifications such as elevators. The staff rationale is to preserve protections against large vertical bulk while enabling single-story "ramblers" and renovations that allow aging-in-place.

Residents and speakers who testified during public comment provided examples of unintended consequences under the current rule. Doria Holbrook, an online commenter, said a 3,000-square-foot footprint cap made it infeasible to design a single-level, multigenerational home on a large lot: "A single level layout with porches and attached garage isn't about building mass. It's about building a safer home," she said.

Council members asked staff targeted questions about calibration (for example, whether 1,500 square feet is the right cutoff for cottage homes and how the 300-square-foot expansion would be tracked). Staff said they had consulted local builders and the Master Builders group and would return a refined draft that incorporated clarifying language—such as explicitly stating the garage is excluded from cottage-home square-foot calculations and clarifying that the 300-square-foot allowance is tracked per building under a single permit.

No ordinance was adopted at the meeting. Staff said the Title 21 amendments will return to the council for a public hearing and possible ordinance on Feb. 3, 2026, and they said they would notify earlier commenters and accept additional written feedback ahead of that hearing.

What happens next: The council will consider the proposed Title 21 ordinance at a Feb. 3 public hearing. Staff encouraged residents with questions to send written comments in advance so staff can respond before the hearing.