Sammamish council narrows inclusionary-fee reach, exempts additions and limits fee to area above 1,750 sq ft

The Sammamish City Council voted 5-2 on July 21 to change how the city's inclusionary affordable-housing fee applies, adopting council-directed exemptions for homeowner additions and instructing staff to apply the in-lieu fee only to conditioned floor area above 1,750 square feet.

David Pyle, the city’s director of community development, told the council the staff recommendation had been intended to preserve the fee’s economic effect on builders. “Our staff recommendation does match this that a a home addition be fully exempt,” he said during the discussion. He explained the fee model was calibrated to a 1-in-10 (10%) assumption and that changing which square footage is charged affects the underlying math and the fee’s ability to influence builder behavior.

The vote followed a lengthy public hearing in which homeowners described receiving unanticipated inclusionary-fee invoices when rehabbing or rebuilding. Jason Danforth, who said his garage was destroyed in a storm and later received a bill exceeding $38,000, urged retroactive relief: “We unexpectedly received an invoice for more than $38,000 for the affordable…housing fee,” he told the council. Multiple residents and speakers argued the city should protect existing homeowners from large fees that can arrive at the moment of permit issuance.

Councilmembers debated competing goals: reducing the burden on long-term residents and maintaining a financial lever intended to nudge developers toward smaller units. Councilmember Pamela Stewart proposed and discussed guardrails that would allow modest additions while charging fees above staged exemption thresholds; that amendment failed. Councilmember Michael Boyer later moved an amendment to limit fee application to the square footage above 1,750, which the council adopted; the final main motion, as amended, then passed 5-2.

Staff told the council that the committee vote establishes policy direction but that the ordinance text must be updated to match the motion and returned for a final vote. Pyle said staff will prepare the revised ordinance language and bring the item back to the council on Aug. 18 for final adoption and any necessary legal review.

What’s next: Staff will draft ordinance language consistent with tonight’s motion, consult the city attorney on retroactivity scope, and return the item for final adoption on Aug. 18. The council directed staff to implement the adopted policy changes retroactively where the motion required it.

Speakers quoted: David Pyle (Director, Community Development); Jason Danforth (resident); Councilmember Pamela Stewart.