By Miki Mullor
Editor

A months-long investigation by Sammamish Comment that includes email interviews with staff and public records requests reveal city staff opposition to restoring a stringent stormwater standard in the Town Center area.

• Staff opposes the former standard because the soil in the Town Center makes it “infeasible” to implement. 
• In public, staff said the standard or an equivalent to it, is in place.
• In private meetings with council members, staff admitted it was eliminated and opposed restoring it.
• STCA’s Phase I 400 homes permit’s stormwater section was approved although the developer said it is not implementing it because “it is not feasible”. 
• The City does not know the impact of the currently enacted and relaxed standards on the creeks and downstream homes.
• City Manager David Rudat on The Comment’s investigation: “a take down”.