Shoreline Master Program

Table of Contents

• Home
• Meetings
• How to Become Involved/Contacts
• Department of Ecology Review
• Project Overview
• Documents
• Comments and Feedback
• SMP Process
• Links
• Photo Gallery

To view Ecology’s documents related to the SMP update, click on the Ecology website link: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/sea/shorelines/smp/mycomments/sammamish.html
Additional information regarding the review can be found below in the section named Department of Ecology Review.

The Sammamish Shoreline Master Program, including the City Council Adopted SMP and Appendices: Designation Maps 1-4, Shoreline Inventory and Characterization Report, Inventory Maps, Restoration Plan, and Cumulative Impact Analysis,  is currently under review by the Washington Department of Ecology (ECY). The complete submittal documents are available for public review at City Hall. Please see the section below titled Department of Ecology Review for additional information on the ECY review process.Please let us know if you have questions: SMP Feedback.

City of Sammamish
Att: Debbie Beadle
801 228th Ave SE
Sammamish, WA 98075

The Shoreline Master Program Update does not affect current pending development applications for shoreline areas. Changes to shoreline regulations will not take effect until after Department of Ecology approval. Please note that the maintenance of existing landscaping – such as mowing your lawn or removing fallen tree limbs, etc. – is not affected by this program. All in-water work requires a permit. If you have questions regarding development on a specific parcel, please contact the City’s front desk at 425-295-0500 to have a planner assist you.   

Meetings  

No meetings regarding the Sammamish Shoreline Master Program are scheduled at this time.

How Can Citizens Become Involved? 

The City of Sammamish thanks the many citizens who have actively participated in the Shoreline Master Program Update by attending meetings, learning about the issues, discussing their concerns with City Council, and submitting written comments. The City is maintaining the contact list that has been developed during the update process. Citizens that want to add or update their contact information should call or email:

FINAL DOCUMENTATION SUBMITTED TO DEPARTMENT OF ECOLOGY

Response from Department of Ecology

Department of Ecology Review 

May 6, 2011: Ecology conditionally approves most of city's Shoreline Master Program Update. To view Ecology’s documents related to the SMP update, click on the Ecology website link: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/sea/shorelines/smp/mycomments/sammamish.html

February 3^rd: The City of Sammamish submitted the required response to Ecology’s summary of public comments received during the public comment period in October of 2010.  Click on the links to view the Cover Letter or Response.

October 29, 2010: The Public Comment period for the Department of Ecology’s (ECY) review of the Sammamish Shoreline Master Program (SMP) was closed. Below is the Ecology Comment Summary along with a complete list of the submitted comments.

Please contact ECY staff for additional information on their review process. Please contact City staff for additional information on the City’s process to respond to comments.

Project Overview 

Sammamish completed Phase I of the Shoreline Master Program Update (SMP) process in June 2007 with the submittal of the Draft Shoreline Master Program Update to the Washington Department of Ecology (ECY). Phase II began in the summer of 2007 with an expanded public participation process occurring prior to City Council adoption of the SMP on October 6, 2009. On February 3, 2010, Sammamish submitted the adopted SMP to ECY for review. 

Steps of the ECY review process include:

· An ECY public comment period open from September 27 until  October 29, 2010

· An ECY public hearing on October 7, 2010

· A City of Sammamish response to the public comments given to ECY sent February 3, 2011

· Decision letter from ECY of conditional acceptance of the SMP received May 6, 2011

The process will continue with:

· City Council review and adoption of changes; or

· City Council submission of an alternative proposal for ECY consideration

The updated SMP will go into effect when ECY gives final approval. After receiving approval, the City Council will adopt the final SMP by ordinance.

Background:

In 2005, the city was awarded a $70,000 grant by the ECY in order to update the SMP. Sammamish developed the scope of work to carry out Phase I for the grant agreement with ECY in March 2006. Since May 2006, Sammamish has been utilizing the consultants ESA Adolfson. In July 2007, Sammamish received an additional $79,200 in ECY funding, to subsidize ESA Adolfson’s work until SMP adoption. To see the ECY scope of work, view the SMP Scope of Work Agreement.

One of the initial tasks in the update process was to collect existing shoreline data from a variety of sources. Information from this step can be read in the City of Sammamish Shoreline Inventory and Characterization Report, which was completed in November, 2006. It includes the information necessary to ensure a balance between state guidelines and local needs and conditions.The findings were presented to the public at an Open House at City Hall on October 19, 2006 and to the Planning Commission on December 7th, 2006.

The first documents reviewed by the Planning Commission were the Inventory and Characterization Report, and the Draft Gap Analysis and SMP Consistency Review. The Gap Analysis identified goals and policies that need to be modified or added for the City to comply with State Guidelines. The Draft Shoreline Environment Designations were discussed on June 7th and delivered to ECY in June of 2008. The Draft Restoration Plan was revised and resubmitted in January 2008 to ECY as the Final Restoration Plan.

The Public Review Draft SMP was issued in late September and presented to the Planning Commission on October 2, 2008. Reflecting citizen comments, the Planning Commission Recommended Draft was published in November and presented to the City Council on January 6th, 2009. The City Council Draft SMP (August 7, 2009), reflects City Council direction responsive to additional citizen concerns. Adoption by the City Council of the Shoreline Master Program occurred on October 6, 2009 and included additional City Council directed changes. These changes are documented in Table A, Table B, and Table C, as adopted on 10/06/09.

The City Council Adopted SMP, appendices, and supporting documents were submitted to ECY on February 3, 2010. Sammamish received a Letter of Completeness back from ECY notifying the city that the submittal included all necessary documentation and that they could proceed with their review on June 30, 2010.

On June 30, 2010 Sammamish received a Letter of Completeness back from ECY notifying the city that the submittal included all necessary documentation and that they could proceed with their review.

See the Major Aspects of the SMP Process to learn more about each stage in the process.

Documents 

HOW TO LOCATE SPECIFIC MATERIALS ON THIS PAGE:

In this “Documents” section you will find the most central AND/OR current materials being discussed, or already discussed, at meetings. If you do not find what you are looking for, or if your computer cannot print or absorb the file size or type, please let us know and we will accommodate you.

For meeting-specific materials: please view the city council meeting list.

Click here to view archived documents.

Major Aspects of the SMP Process 

1. Public Participation and Coordination

The public participation process will be transparent and inclusive. As draft documents are developed, they will be reviewed by the public at open houses, by the Planning Commission at regularly scheduled intervals, and through other outreach methods. These include a city webpage dedicated to the Shoreline Master Program Update (SMP), posters at key community locations, press releases, legal notices, email lists, and articles in the city newsletter and the Sammamish Review.

The Public Participation Plan will identify specific objectives, meeting dates, and key parties, including but not limited to the Planning Commission, general public, property owners, stakeholders, government agencies, King County, the Tribes, neighboring jurisdictions and special interest groups. Our goal is to identify the most effective opportunities for public involvement within the available timeframe.

2. Shoreline Inventory and Characterization

Information about the city’s shorelines will be identified and collected to the extent that such information is relevant and reasonably obtainable. The collected information and data will be analyzed as it relates to development of an effective Shoreline Master Program. This information will be presented as an Analysis Report and Map Folio that will present findings and make recommendations regarding shoreline protection and restoration, public access and accommodation of water-oriented uses. The report will provide the foundation for the consequent stages of the SMP process.

3. Draft Shoreline Goals, Policies, and Environment Designations

Sammamish will establish shoreline goals to guide policy development, with the overall goal being “no net loss” of ecological function. The city will review the existing Shoreline Master Program as it relates to current Washington Department of Ecology (ECY) requirements and address the gaps between them. Based on the Analysis Report, Washington State Shoreline Master Program guidelines, and the city’s planning efforts and Comprehensive Plan goals, draft policy options and recommendations will be developed. In some cases, these draft policy options and recommendations might lead to new shoreline designations. New language for these designations will be developed and may include some of these terms: “natural”, “rural conservancy”, “urban conservancy”, “high intensity”, “aquatic”, and “shoreline residential.”

4. Shoreline Development Regulations

The city’s existing Shoreline Master Program development regulations will be reviewed and new development regulations will be developed. These will provide Sammamish with the fair and workable tools it needs to administer the findings of the SMP process. The city’s Critical Areas regulations will provide a solid basis for the work.

5. Draft Restoration Plan and Implementation Strategy

Current and proposed restoration programs that contribute to the improvement of shoreline ecological functions in Sammamish will be identified. In light of these programs, a Restoration Plan that takes into account the findings of the inventory and analysis, and goals developed under Task 3 will be developed.

6. Draft SMP

By July 2007, the results of this process will be consolidated into a Draft Shoreline Master Program that meets the requirements of the first phase of our SMP grant agreement with ECY.

7. Final SMP/Phase II

A high level of public participation will be encouraged during the Final SMP/Phase II stage of the process. During this phase, “policy and regulatory options” that were reserved for public debate in Phase I — those that contained more flexibility with regard to ECY requirements — will be examined by the public, Planning Commission, City Council and agencies involved. Also during Phase II, consistency between the SMP and other important Sammamish planning documents, such as the Comprehensive Plan and the Critical Areas Ordinance, will be evaluated. Final approval from the City Council and the Department of Ecology will be sought at the completion of Phase II (see project overview).