Sammamish selected the Hotel Murano in Tacoma for its annual retreat Jan. 19-21. The decision was announced Tuesday by City Manager Lyman Howard.

This was the location last year.

The City was leaning toward returning to Suncadia Lodge in Roslyn, east of Snoqualmie Pass until Sammamish Comment revealed the plans.

Council Member Tom Odell clearly preferred Suncadia. He remarked that Tacoma is as difficult to reach as “Ellensburg,” the next town over from Roslyn–but this misses the point.

Driving across Snoqualmie Pass in January can be problematic. While traffic to Tacoma isn’t a cakewalk, last year several citizens made the drive who did not go to Suncadia the year before that.

Council Member Christie Malchow suggested webcasting the retreat, but no decision was made on this.

The two local papers, Sammamish Review and Issaquah/Sammamish Reporter, have not attended the retreat in recent years. Sammamish Comment attended the last two years.