Breaking news: Examiner denies SHO appeal on ELST; Gives split decision on County appeal

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The Sammamish Hearing Examiner denied the appeal by the Sammamish Homeowners over the City’s granting of a permit for development of the East Lake Sammamish Trail.

The Examiner granted some of the appeal issues filed by King County over a host of conditions the City set, but denied others. Still others were settled in negotiations between the City and the County, the most important providing for the preservation of far more trees than the County originally was proposing.

A third homeowners’ appeal was settled between the County and the appellants.

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Hearing Examiner OKs Conner-Jarvis project, says Kempton Downs failed to meet burden

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City_of_SammamishJan. 20, 2016: The Sammamish Hearing Examiner Tuesday rejected the appeal by the Kempton Downs Homeowners Assn. of the Conner-Jarvis project. Approval was given with minor modifications to conditions.

The approval, by Examiner John Gault, was a sweeping victory for Conner-Jarvis and the City’s Development and Public Works departments. Gault ruled that Kempton Downs failed in issue after issue to meet the burden required under state law to overturn the professional judgment of the City’s staff.

State law says that deference to the professionals takes preference. This means that in appeals, the burden of proof that the staff erred is on the appellants.

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Sammamish Retreat analysis

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The Sammamish City Council’s 2016 Retreat wrapped up Saturday. Here are thoughts and analysis:

  •  Retreat location: This was the first time in about 10 years Sammamish held its Retreat on this side of the Cascade Mountains. Given how often Snoqualmie Pass closed this season (including City_of_Sammamishtwice on Saturday alone), holding it in Tacoma was good from this perspective alone. Council members and the Administration liked the remote location because it discouraged public participation and afforded total candor–sometimes to the point of open warfare (as occurred last year, despite presence by Sammamish Comment and others). In Tacoma, The Comment and others were present all three days, with the public attendance of almost a dozen on Saturday. The sky didn’t fall in. The atmosphere was far more civil this year as well (see below).

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Sammamish Council Retreat, Day 3: More on barricades; Community Outreach; and more

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City_of_SammamishJan. 16, 2016: The third and last day of the Sammamish City Council Retreat saw yet a third run at the 42nd St. barricade issue.

(Our post yesterday has also been updated.)

Greg Reynolds, the leading proponent for removing the barricade, said City officials admitted the roadway on the west side of the barricade is unsafe, requiring action to fix the situation and remove the barricade, or it faces liabilities if it takes no action.

This is the other side of the same coin argued by a leading opponent who has since moved out of state, Rick Kuprewicz, who argued Sammamish would be opening itself to liabilities if it removed the barricade because of the unsafe road.

Sammamish inherited the problems, including the barricade and road design, from King County, which approved both before incorporation.

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Sammamish Council Retreat, Day 2, Part 2: Variations (con’t) (Updated)

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Updated, Jan. 16: More detail on the 42nd St. barricade.

Jan. 15, 2016: Continuing Day 2 of the Sammamish City Council Retreat:

Variations, Continued

The Conner-Jarvis project did ask for variations to road standards, to narrow roads within the subdivision and development design around streets. The Planning Commission made some recommendations along these lines.

(Narrower streets are generally considered to be more environmentally friendly because of reduced impervious surface.–Editor)

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