Critical Areas
Wetland area near Allen Lake.
Like other local counties and cities, Sammamish has regulations for protection of Environmentally Critical Areas. Environmentally critical areas include wetlands, streams and other fish and wildlife habitat conservation areas, frequently flooded areas, geologically hazardous areas, and aquifer recharge areas. The city’s Environmentally Critical Areas Regulations, found in Chapter 21A.50 of the Sammamish Municipal Code, set the standards and criteria for development or other activities proposed in and around critical areas.
2010/2011 Environmentally Critical Areas Regulations Update
In December 2005 the City Council adopted current Environmentally Critical Areas Regulations to comply with a state statutory deadline. These regulations became effective on January 3, 2006. The Environmentally Critical Areas Regulations were developed using a Best Available Science (BAS) approach and updated the standards Sammamish had inherited from King County upon incorporation.
The Environmentally Critical Areas Regulations adopted in 2005 included a sunset clause that would cause certain provisions within the Environmentally Critical Areas Regulations to lapse at the end of 2009. The sunset clause was included in the 2005 regulations as a mechanism to cause the city to review and determine whether certain aspects of the environmental regulations (such as buffer requirements for streams and wetlands) should be modified. On December 1, 2009, the City Council extended the sunset date to January 3, 2012 to allow for a detailed review process to occur.
Updates for the 2010/2011 Environmentally Critical Areas Regulations review process can be found on this site. Please check back for evolving information. Following are links to the project schedule and public comments supplied.
Public Comments
Current Environmentally Critical Areas Regulations
Adopted by City Council on Dec 20, 2005.
Chapter 21A.50 in the Sammamish Municipal Code.
Environmental Regulations Prior To Critical Areas Update
The city of Sammamish conducted a wetland inventory in and around the city’s proposed Town Center area. Results from this wetland inventory effort are available (see here). Included in this link is a map outlining the approximate boundary of each wetland and a “Wetland Rating Form - Western Washington”; which contains information about buffer requirements, the wetland classification and other important details. Please note that a map of some of the known critical areas within the larger city of Sammamish may be found through the NWMaps website (see here).
Resources
Maps, Exhibits and Forms
Links