Construction of two new Olympic Class, 144-car ferries is under way and they both need names. Responding to an invitation from the Washington State Transportation Commission, the city will ask that “Sammamish” be considered.
According to the commission, tribal names, bodies of water and geographical locations are good candidates. Ideally, the names should also represent the state’s image and culture, and have broad familiarity.
“We’re excited about the possibility,” City Manager Ben Yazici said. “We know there will be a lot of worthy submissions, but I think ‘Sammamish’ would look great on one of these two new ferries. I think the City Council would also be happy to pass a proclamation in support of the idea.”
The deadline for name submissions is Sept. 26. Among other things, the submission should include background information on the name, evidence of public enthusiasm, and letters of support from local organizations.
“It would be great if residents sent us letters of support to include in the submission,” Yazici said. “We could make this a real group effort.”
Those letters should be sent by Sept. 21 to:
Allison Gubata
Sammamish City Hall
801 228th Ave. S.E.
Sammamish, WA 98075
After the submission deadline, the commission will begin a review and public comment process. The final selection of names for the two ferries will occur at the commission’s Nov. 13 meeting in Tacoma.