Sammamish shoreline master program: locally initiated amendment

The comment period for the City of Sammamish's shoreline master program (SMP) locally initiated amendment  is now closed.

We held a public comment period on City of Sammamish’s proposed locally initiated amendment to their shoreline master program. The period for public comment was from Nov. 12 to Dec. 13, 2025. A public hearing was held at Sammamish City Hall on May 6, 2025. No testimony was provided at the hearing.

Email notices were used to notify those who had expressed prior interest. One written comment from the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe was received. The Tribe encouraged the city to prioritize protection of the natural shoreline and to promote more sustainable management of existing public access. The Tribe urged the city to incorporate stronger language and stronger environmental protections into the SMP and suggested the city more clearly state the trade-offs between increasing public access and protecting the environment, including loss of habitat quality and refugia for wildlife.

The locally initiated amendment was adopted by the Sammamish City Council on May 6, 2025. It addresses several topics, including:

• Updating the Critical Areas Ordinance (CAO) with the requirements to use the most current, accurate, and complete scientific or technical information available in WAC 173-26-201(2)(a) into the SMP. The SMP will need to reference the updated code in the SMP.