The Sammamish Development Code, or SDC, is the home for the City’s development related regulations including land use and development, environmental policy, zoning, surface water management and Town Center. The City’s development regulations were previously spread across many titles and chapters of the Sammamish Municipal Code. The SDC consolidates the development regulations into one clearly organized and user-friendly document making them more easily navigated and understood by the public, applicants, and staff alike. Additionally, the new components adopted with the SDC, like the Neighborhood Design chapter, more closely align the City’s development regulations with its Comprehensive Plan, resulting in development outcomes that help maintain Sammamish’s unique northwest character.
The SDC was adopted by Ordinance 2021-540 on December 14, 2021, and has an effective date of January 1, 2022.
The SDC has incorporated former Title 13– Surface Water Management, former Title 14A – Public Facilities, former Title 19A – Land Division, former Title 20 – Administrative Procedures/Environmental Policy, former Title 21 – Historic Preservations, former Title 21A – Development Code, former Title 21B – Town Center Development Code, and former Chapter 16.15 – Clearing and Grading.
*Generally speaking, projects that have submitted complete applications prior to January 1, 2022, not subject to language that was amended or added by Ordinance 2021-540, however there are exceptions. Please see City's vesting standards here to understand how your application is impacted by these new standards*
Please be patient with us as we transition to the SDC. We are working to update our permit applications and handouts to reflect the SDC’s new numbering system. Please refer to the Reverse Outline to help locate any code sections that have been renumbered.
Sammamish Development Code Resource Library
SDC User Guide
The Ordinance Lists is a list of all prior development regulations ordinances adopted by the City Council. The list includes the titles and chapters repealed by Ordinance 2021-540.
Ordinance Lists
The Reverse Outline is a guide for finding content in the new Sammamish Development Code. It follows the structure of the Sammamish Municipal Code and shows where each chapter of Titles 13, 14A, 19A, 20, 21, 21A, and 21B has been located in the new Sammamish Development Code.
Reverse Outline
The SDC was created as part of a larger project called Phase 2 Development Regulations Updates. The first step of Phase 2 was reviewing and updating development regulations found in the existing Sammamish Municipal Code (SMC). These updates were responsive to feedback and direction from the City Council, Planning Commission, Community advisory group, and City staff. The second step of Phase 2 was consolidating all of the City's development regulations (the newly developed as part of Phase 2 and the existing regulations in the SMC) into the Sammamish Development Code. The Redlined Sammamish Development Code highlights the newly developed components of the development regulations completed during Phase 2 and adopted with the SDC.
Redlined Sammamish Development Code
Former SMC Titles and Chapters Repealed by Ordinance 2021-540.
Title 13 – Surface Water Management
Title 14A – Public Facilities
Title 19A – Land Division
Title 20 – Administrative Procedures/Environmental Policy
Title 21 – Historic Preservations
Title 21A – Development Code
Title 21B – Town Center Development Code
Chapter 16.15 – Clearing and Grading
Permits & Regulations