Sammamish Council Passes Development Moratorium To Study Traffic

SAMMAMISH, WA - The Sammamish City Council Tuesday night approved an emergency moratorium on development in the city until a new traffic model is implemented. The Council in July voted to make solving traffic problems a priority, so the moratorium will allow Council members to do an "in-depth analysis" on the state of traffic in Sammamish.

But the public can still weigh in. The Council must hold a public hearing about the moratorium within 60 days, and will have to review it at the end of six months.

The moratorium does not affect projects already under construction or with a development approval from the city.

“We can’t stop growth, but we can manage it,” City Manager Lyman Howard said in a statement released Wednesday. “We’re in an intense cycle of strategic planning at the same time all this growth is happening. The building moratorium is like a time out or a pause. It’s a temporary reprieve while we complete the planning necessary to guide development in alignment with our comprehensive plan.”

The city has published a building moratorium FAQ. You can read the complete emergency ordinance here.

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