Emily F. Keller: Journalist

Protest Served at Potluck Picnic

    For some residents of 248th Avenue, the Fourth of July was more than just a day of patriotism, barbecue food and socializing with friends and family. It was a day for taking back their street. Residents who live on the avenue between Southeast 14th and 17th streets took to the streets on the holiday evening to call attention to the costly maintenance of their private street.

    As people tried to cut through the neighborhood after leaving Fourth on the Plateau festivities, the residents turned dozens of vehicles away, snarling traffic in the vicinity.

    Published in the Sammamish Review. Read the story.

Planners Propose Municipal, Critical Areas Code Changes

    City planners are proposing a series of changes to development and drainage requirements in Sammamish that they say will reduce bureaucracy and protect the environment.

    But some environmentalists say those two goals are inconsistent. At a June 19 meeting, the city’s Planning Commission heard recommendations about some of the less controversial proposals to amend portions of the municipal building code. Proposed changes to the critical areas code that came up at another recent meeting have generated more controversy.

    Published in the Sammamish Review. Read the story.

City Survey Says Permitting Process Improved

    Obtaining a land use or building permit from the city has gotten faster and easier, according to city officials and Sammamish residents. City staff processed a greater portion of home renovation permit applications within its target processing time in 2008 compared with 2007, said Kamuron Gurol, the city’s director of community development.

    The city increased its speed in all permit categories. The most significant increases were for additions and deck permits. The city met its two-day maximum goal for over-the-counter townhouse permits 60 percent of the time, compared with 10 percent in 2007. The city also met a two-week goal for small projects permits for townhouses 67 percent of the time, compared with 16 percent in 2007, Gurol told the Council in a quarterly presentation June 17. He attributed the city’s success in part to its transition to an online application process.

    Published in the Sammamish Review. Read the story.

Ridership Exploding

    As gas prices continue to increase, bus ridership between Seattle and Sammamish has been rising as well, increasing crowding on Eastside routes. Many Sammamish residents have also begun carpooling by van through Metro’s Regional Ridematch System, an online networking service.

    Metro Transit is planning to accommodate some of the growth by increasing service on Route 269 in September from every 30 minutes to every 20 minutes at peak hours. The agency also plans to make additional improvements over the next five years.

    Published in the Sammamish Review. Read the story.

Planners Propose Low Impact Development Ordinance

    Sammamish planners want to encourage developers to minimize their impact on the environment by offering them benefits. City planners are proposing a low impact development ordinance that would reward developers of commercial and large residential projects for using a host of storm water methods favored by environmentalists. Low impact development is a storm water management and land development strategy that aims to minimize soil disturbance and impervious surfaces, protect natural features and add vegetation.

    Published in the Sammamish Review. Read the story.

City Polls Sammamish Residents

    Residents of Sammamish continue to love the city for its small-town feel, quiet, schools, safety and lakes, and they still wish the city had less traffic congestion. But the percentage of residents who approve of the city’s general direction declined slightly since 2005, according to a phone survey of nearly 400 people conducted in April.

    The City conducts surveys periodically to gauge public opinion and connect with citizens. The last survey was conducted in 2005, and the city plans to do them every two years going forward, said Communications Director Tim Larson.

    Published in the Sammamish Review. Read the story.

Everything’s Going Up

    Sammamish residents may have to pay more for water and sewer service by 2009. The Sammamish Plateau Water and Sewer Authority, which provides sewer and water service to more than 50,000 people in parts of Sammamish, Issaquah and unincorporated King County, is proposing to increase base charges and usage charges by 9 percent. Additionally, the Metropolitan King County Council has voted to increase its portion of the bill.

    Published in the Sammamish Review. Read the story.

State Official: Tolls Coming on 520 Bridge

    Washington state officials including spoke to the Sammamish City Council about tolling a bridge on Seattle's east side to keep it from collapsing into Lake Washington in an earthquake. 

    Paula Hammond, the Washington transportation secretary (right), sits on the new 520 Tolling Implementation Committee with Bob Drewel, executive director of the Puget Sound Regional Council, and Richard Ford, the Washington transportation commissioner.

    The article was published in the Sammamish Review. Read the story.

Finkelstein: Sammamish Must Diversify Revenue

    Stan Finkelstein, executive director of the nonprofit Association of Washington Cities, gave a dire warning to the Sammamish City Council last week. He said the city must diversify its revenue sources and prepare for state and national funding reductions to maintain financial viability over the long term.

    Finkelstein told the City Council that Sammamish has benefited despite the economic downturn by setting aside capital funds, a luxury he said few cities enjoy. The city has also benefited from having a relatively high median income, which was $101,592 – almost twice that of similar cities – when the last U.S. Census was conducted in 2000. The closest contender was Redmond, which had a median income of $66,735.

    But Finkelstein warned that increases in the federal debt and health care costs will lead to reductions in entitlement programs and funding for services like higher education. He also said Sammamish is likely to face a rise in contract expenses and in the cost of delivering services, and it will need to diversify its revenue sources as new construction slows.

    Published in the Sammamish Review. Read the story.

City Plans for Revenue and Expense Crossover

    Officials are beginning to plan now for a long-term revenue shortfall that they say is an inevitable part of being a new city and could strike in the next 10 years. As the city matures and continues building infrastructure, the cost of maintaining that infrastructure will rise, shrinking the gap between the city’s revenue and expenses over time.

    The crossover point where expenses begin to rise above revenue is currently estimated at the 2017-2018 budget year, but a prolonged downturn in the housing market could make it happen sooner, city officials said at a financial retreat meeting June 12.

    Published in the Sammamish Review. Read the story.