1. Reduce the visual impact of large residential buildings from adjacent streets and properties;

2. Enhance the aesthetic character of large residential buildings;

3. Contain sufficient flexibility of standards to encourage creative and innovative site and building design;

4. Meet the on-site recreation needs of project residents;

5. Enhance aesthetics and environmental protection through site design;

6. Allow for continued or adaptive reuse of historic resources while preserving their historic and architectural integrity;

7. Reduce the health and aesthetic impact of waste containers adjacent to streets;

8. Promote compatibility between residential and nonresidential uses; and

9. Promote health, safety, and security by minimizing glare and light trespass from outdoor lighting onto adjacent properties. (Ord. O2021-540 § 2 (Att. A))

1. Providing visual relief from large expanses of parking areas and reduction of perceived building scale;

2. Providing physical separation between residential and nonresidential areas;

3. Providing visual screens and barriers as a transition between differing land uses;

4. Retaining existing vegetation and significant trees by incorporating them into the site design;

5. Providing increased areas of permeable surfaces to allow for:

6. Encouraging the use of native plant species by their retention or use in the landscape design;

7. Requiring water use efficiency through water budgeting and efficient irrigation design standards;

8. Encouraging the use of a diversity of plant species that promote native wildlife habitat.

1. Landscaping – Screen types and description. The three types of landscaping screens are described and applied as follows:

2. Landscaping – Street frontages. The required width of perimeter landscaping along street frontages shall be provided as follows:

3. Landscaping – Side and rear lot lines. The required width of perimeter landscaping along the side and rear yard lot lines shall be provided as follows:

4. Landscaping – Drainage facilities. The landscaping requirements established for detention facilities in the Sammamish Addendum to the King County Surface Water Design Manual are hereby adopted by reference and shall be mandatory for all drainage facilities not located entirely underground. The department shall review and approve proposed landscaping plans subject to the following:

5. Landscaping – Surface parking areas. Parking area landscaping shall be provided within surface parking areas with 10 or more parking stalls for the purpose of providing shade and diminishing the visual impacts of large paved areas as follows:

6. Landscaping – General standards for all landscape areas. All new landscape areas proposed for a development shall be subject to the following provisions:

7. Landscaping – Additional standards for required landscape areas. In addition to the general standards of SMC 21.06.020.C.6, landscape areas required pursuant to SMC 21.06.020.C.2 through 21.06.020.C.5 shall conform to the following standards:

8. Landscaping – Alternative options. The following alternative landscape options may be allowed, subject to City approval, only if they accomplish equal or better levels of screening, or when existing conditions on or adjacent to the site, such as significant topographic differences, vegetation, structures, or utilities, would render application of this chapter ineffective or result in scenic view obstruction:

9. Landscaping – Plan design, design review, and installation.

1. Single-family detached homes shall provide a designated location for the storage of garbage, recycling, and other waste containers. The designated location shall either be placed in an enclosure or garage, or screened so that the garbage, recycling, and other waste containers are not visible from public streets. The director may authorize an alternate storage location that will meet the purpose of SMC 21.06.010.A.

2. Residents shall return garbage, recycling, and other waste containers to their designated storage location within 24 hours after collection, or as soon as is feasible.

1. Fences with a height of six feet or less may be located in the rear and side yard setbacks except that fences up to eight feet in height and not exceeding 32 linear feet in length for the segment exceeding six feet along any side or rear yard line may be located in the rear and side yard setbacks. Fences exceeding six feet within the rear or side yard setback shall only be allowed when located along a side or rear yard line shared with a property under separate ownership and when an agreement with the adjoining property owner(s) has been reached resulting in an executed agreement including an approved site plan and maintenance agreement consenting to a fence of up to eight feet recorded with King County Records prior to building permit issuance. Requests for fences exceeding six feet in height shall be considered when bundled and submitted with a Type I construction permit application. Agreements shall reference the parcel number and legal description of all affected properties and conform to a format specified by the director. Provided, no fence shall exceed eight feet. Further provided, that fence height granted under this section shall not cause for a violation or non-conformance with existing site restrictions (e.g., easements) or adopted construction codes, Chapter 16.05 SMC. Fences are limited to four feet in height in the front yard setback and shall be consistent with the sight distance requirements of SMC 21.04.030.W. For corner or atypical shaped lots with more than one front yard a fence of six feet or less may be located within the front setback along the street frontage that does not provide access to the property when located outside of the vision clearance triangle and sight distance requirements of SMC 21.04.030.W.

2. Fences located on a rockery, retaining wall, or berm within a required setback area are permitted subject to the following requirements:

3. Fences located on a rockery, retaining wall or berm outside required setback areas shall not exceed the building height for the zone.

4. Electric fences shall:

5. Except as specifically required for the necessary security related to a nonresidential use, no barbed or razor-wire fence shall be located in any R-4 through R-18 zone.

1. Trail corridors – Applicability. Trail easements, or tracts, of sufficient width and length consistent with the dimensional standards as defined below, shall be provided by all developments, except for single detached residential permits, when such developments are located on properties that include trail corridors shown within an adopted City parks or trails plan. In addition to the general public, the residents or tenants of the development shall be provided access to the trail easement. The area of the trail easement shall be counted as part of the site for purposes of density and floor area calculations.

2. Trail corridors – Development standards. Proposed public and private trails shall be reviewed by the department of community development for consistency with the following standards:

3. Trail corridors – Maintenance of trail corridors/improvements. Maintenance of any trail corridor or improvements, retained in private ownership, shall be the responsibility of the owner or other separate entity capable of long-term maintenance and operation in a manner acceptable to the City.

1. Applicability. This section applies to the following types of lighting:

2. Exemptions. The following types of lighting are exempt from the provisions of this section:

3. Standards.

1. All landscaping shall be maintained for the life of the project, including water conservation practices for turf grass such as annual aeration and dethatching, top dressing and overseeding;

2. All landscape materials shall be pruned and trimmed as necessary to maintain a healthy growing condition or to prevent primary limb failure;

3. With the exception of dead, diseased or damaged trees specifically retained to provide wildlife habitat, other dead, diseased, damaged or stolen plantings shall be replaced within three months or during the next planting season if the loss does not occur in a planting season; and

4. Landscape areas shall be kept free of trash.

1. Water use – Applicability of water budget for landscape areas. Irrigation systems of any type are optional components of a landscape area. However, a water budget for irrigation purposes shall be established for all new development, except for:

2. Water use – Irrigation water budget calculated.

3. Water use – Estimated water use calculated. The estimated water use shall be calculated using the following provisions.

4. Water use – Irrigation efficiency goals and system design standards. For purposes of this section, irrigation shall include any means of applying water to landscaped areas. All irrigation is at the applicant’s option. Manually applied irrigation methods shall comply with subsections 1. and 2. of this section. Irrigation applied through installed irrigation systems shall comply with subsections 1. through 3. of this section:

5. Water use – Irrigation system design, design review and audit at installation.

6. Water use – Irrigation design plan contents. Proposed irrigation system design plans shall be drawn on the same base project map as the landscape plan and shall identify:

7. Water use – Irrigation schedules. Irrigation schedules consistent with the following shall be submitted:

8. Water use – Irrigation system maintenance. Irrigation systems shall be maintained and inspected periodically to assure proper functioning and in compliance with the calculated water budget for the system. Replacement of components shall be of originally specified parts or materials, or their equivalents. (Ord. O2025-583 § 2 (Att. A.9); Ord. O2021-540 § 2 (Att. A))

1. Setting minimum off-street parking standards for different land uses that assure safe, convenient and adequately sized parking facilities within activity centers;

2. Providing incentives to rideshare through preferred parking arrangements;

3. Providing for parking and storage of bicycles;

4. Providing safe direct pedestrian access from public rights-of-way to structures and between developments; and

5. Requiring uses that attract large numbers of employees or customers to provide transit stops.

1. Before an occupancy permit may be granted for any new or enlarged building or for a change of use in any existing building, the use shall be required to meet the provisions of this chapter.

2. If this chapter does not specify a parking requirement for a land use, the director shall establish the minimum requirement based on a study of anticipated parking demand. Transportation demand management actions taken at the site shall be considered in determining anticipated demand. If the site is located in an activity center or community business center, the minimum requirement shall be set at a level less than the anticipated demand, but at no less than 75 percent of the anticipated demand. In the study the applicant shall provide sufficient information to demonstrate that the parking demand for a specific land use will be satisfied. Parking studies shall be prepared by a professional engineer with expertise in traffic and parking analyses, or an equally qualified individual as authorized by the director.

3. If the required amount of off-street parking has been proposed to be provided off-site, the applicant shall provide written contracts with affected landowners showing that required off-street parking shall be provided in a manner consistent with the provisions of this chapter. The contracts shall be reviewed by the director for compliance with this chapter, and if approved, the contracts shall be recorded with the King County records and elections division as a deed restriction on the title to all applicable properties. These deed restrictions may not be revoked or modified without authorization by the director.

1. Except as modified in SMC 21.06.030.J.2 through J.4, off-street parking areas shall contain at a minimum the number of parking spaces as stipulated in the following table. Off-street parking ratios expressed as number of spaces per square feet means the usable or net square footage of floor area, exclusive of nonpublic areas. Nonpublic areas include but are not limited to building maintenance areas, storage areas, closets or restrooms. If the formula for determining the number of off-street parking spaces results in a fraction, the number of off-street parking spaces shall be rounded to the nearest whole number with fractions of 0.50 or greater rounding up and fractions below 0.50 rounding down.

2. An applicant may request a modification of the minimum required number of parking spaces by providing that parking demand can be met with a reduced parking requirement. In such cases, the director may approve a reduction of up to 50 percent of the minimum required number of spaces.

3. No minimum parking is required for transit-adjacent sites as follows:

4. When the City has received a shell building permit application, off-street parking requirements shall be based on the possible tenant improvements or uses authorized by the zone designation and compatible with the limitations of the shell permit. When the range of possible uses result in different parking requirements, the director will establish the amount of parking based on a likely range of uses.

5. Where other provisions of this code stipulate maximum parking allowed or reduced minimum parking requirements, those provisions shall apply.

6. In any development required to provide six or more parking spaces, bicycle parking shall be provided. Bicycle parking shall be bike rack or locker-type parking facilities unless otherwise specified.

1. The total parking area exceeds 5,000 square feet;

2. The parking facilities are designed and developed as a single on-site common parking facility, or as a system of on-site and off-site facilities, if all facilities are connected with improved pedestrian facilities and no building or use involved is more than 800 feet from the most remote shared facility;

3. The amount of the reduction shall not exceed 10 percent for each use, unless:

4. The total number of parking spaces in the common parking facility is not less than the minimum required spaces for any single use;

5. A covenant or other contract for shared parking between the cooperating property owners is approved by the director. This covenant or contract must be recorded with King County records and elections division as a deed restriction on both properties and cannot be modified or revoked without the consent of the director; and

6. If any requirements for shared parking are violated, the affected property owners must provide a remedy satisfactory to the director or provide the full amount of required off-street parking for each use, in accordance with the requirements of this chapter, unless a satisfactory alternative remedy is approved by the director.

1. On sites abutting an alley constructed to a width of at least 20 feet, apartment and middle housing development, STEP housing, and all group residences must have parking areas placed to the rear of buildings with primary vehicular access via the alley, except when waived by the director due to physical site limitations.

2. When alley access is provided, no additional driveway access from the public street shall be allowed except as necessary to access parking under the structure or for fire protection.

3. When the number of uncovered common parking spaces for attached dwellings and group residences exceed 30 spaces and when there is alley access, no more than 50 percent of these uncovered parking spaces shall be permitted between the street property line and any building, except when authorized by the director due to physical site limitations.

1. The minimum requirement of one off-street parking space per four senior assisted housing units or sleeping units may be reduced by up to 50 percent, as determined by the Director based on the following considerations:

2. If a senior assisted housing facility is no longer used for such purposes, additional off-street parking spaces shall be required in compliance with this chapter prior to the issuance of a new certificate of occupancy.

1. Accessible electric vehicle charging stations shall be provided in the ratios shown on the following table:

2. Accessible electric vehicle charging stations should be located in close proximity to the building or facility entrance and shall be connected to a barrier-free accessible route of travel. It is not necessary to designate the accessible electric vehicle charging station exclusively for the use of disabled persons. Below are two options for providing for accessible electric vehicle charging stations.

1. Every nonresidential building engaged in retail, wholesale, manufacturing, or storage activities, excluding self-service storage facilities, shall provide loading spaces in accordance with the standards listed below:

2. Every building engaged in hotel, office building, restaurant, hospital, auditorium, convention hall, exhibition hall, sports arena/stadium or other similar use shall provide loading spaces in accordance with the standards listed below:

3. Each loading space required by this section shall be a minimum of 10 feet wide, 30 feet long, and have an unobstructed vertical clearance of 14 feet six inches, and shall be surfaced, improved and maintained as required by this chapter. Loading spaces shall be located so that trucks shall not obstruct pedestrian or vehicle traffic movement or project into any public right-of-way. All loading space areas shall be separated from parking areas and shall be designated as truck loading spaces.

4. Any loading space located within 100 feet of areas zoned for residential use shall be screened and operated as necessary to reduce noise and visual impacts. Noise mitigation measures may include architectural or structural barriers, beams, walls, or restrictions on the hours of operation.

5. Multi-story self-service storage facilities shall provide two loading spaces, and single story facilities one loading space, adjacent to each building entrance that provides common access to interior storage units. Each loading berth shall measure not less than 25 feet by 12 feet with an unobstructed vertical clearance of 14 feet six inches, and shall be surfaced, improved and maintained as required by this chapter. Any floor area additions or structural alterations to a building shall be required to provide loading space or spaces as set forth in this chapter.

1. A stacking space shall be an area measuring eight feet by 20 feet with direct forward access to a service window of a drive-through facility. A stacking space shall be located to prevent any vehicles from extending onto the public right-of-way, or interfering with any pedestrian circulation, traffic maneuvering, or other parking space areas. Stacking spaces for drive-through or drive-in uses may not be counted as required parking spaces.

2. Uses providing drive-up or drive-through services shall provide vehicle stacking spaces as follows:

1. All land uses listed in SMC 21.05.010.P (government/business services), and in SMC 21.05.010.T (manufacturing), hospitals, high schools, vocational schools, universities, and specialized instruction schools shall be required to reserve one parking space of every 20 required spaces for rideshare parking as follows:

2. The director may reduce the number of required off-street parking spaces when one or more scheduled transit routes provide service within 660 feet of the site. The amount of reduction shall be based on the number of scheduled transit runs between 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. each business day up to a maximum reduction as follows:

3. All uses that are located on an existing transit route and are required under the computation for required off-street parking spaces in SMC 21.06.030.C.1 to provide more than 200 parking spaces may be required to provide transit shelters, bus turnout lanes or other transit improvements as a condition of permit approval. Uses that reduce required parking under subsection 2. of this section shall provide transit shelters if transit routes adjoin the site.

1. Nonresidential Uses. All permitted nonresidential uses shall provide pedestrian and bicycle access within and onto the site. Access points onto the site shall be provided a. approximately every 800 to 1,000 feet along existing and proposed perimeter sidewalks and walkways; and b. at all arrival points to the site, including abutting street intersections, crosswalks, and transit stops. In addition, access points to and from adjacent lots shall be coordinated to provide circulation patterns between developments.

2. Residential Uses.

3. Walkways shall form an on-site circulation system that minimizes the conflict between pedestrians and traffic at all points of pedestrian access to on-site parking and building entrances. Walkways shall be provided when the pedestrian access point onto the site, or any parking space, is more than 75 feet from the building entrance or principal on-site destination and as follows:

c. Walkways across parking areas shall be located as follows:

i. Walkways running parallel to the parking rows shall be provided for every six rows. Rows without walkways shall be landscaped or contain barriers or other means to encourage pedestrians to use the walkways; and

ii. Walkways running perpendicular to the parking rows shall be no further than 20 parking spaces. Landscaping, barriers or other means shall be provided between the parking rows to encourage pedestrians to use the walkways.

4. Pedestrian and bicycle access and walkways shall meet the following minimum design standards:

5. Blocks in excess of 660 feet shall be provided with a crosswalk at the approximate midpoint of the block.

6. The director may waive or modify the requirements of this section when:

The director’s waiver may not be used to modify or waive the requirements of this section relating to sidewalks and safe walking conditions for students.

7. The provisions of this section shall not apply on school district property.

1. Off-street parking areas shall not be located more than 600 feet from the building they are required to serve for all uses except those specified below; where the off-street parking areas do not abut the buildings they serve, the required maximum distance shall be measured from the nearest building entrance that the parking area serves:

2. The minimum parking space and aisle dimensions for the most common parking angles are shown on the chart below. For parking angles other than those shown on the chart, the minimum parking space and aisle dimensions must be determined by the Director. Regardless of the parking angle, one-way aisles must be at least 10 feet wide, and two-way aisles must be at least 20 feet wide. If dead-end aisles are used in the parking layout, they must be constructed as two-way aisles. Parking plans for angle parking shall use space widths no less than eight feet for a standard or compact car parking space design.

3. Any parking spaces abutting a required landscaped area on the driver or passenger side of the vehicle shall provide an additional 18 inches above the minimum space width requirement to provide a place to step other than in the landscaped area. The additional width shall be separated from the adjacent parking space by a parking space division stripe.

4. The parking space depth may be reduced when vehicles overhang a walkway or landscaping under the following conditions:

5. Driveways providing ingress and egress between off-street parking areas and abutting streets shall be designed, located and constructed in accordance with the provisions of the City of Sammamish public works standards as adopted by SMC 21.08.010. Driveways for single detached dwellings, no more than 20 feet in width, may cross required setbacks or landscaped areas in order to provide access between the off-street parking areas and the street, provided no more than 15 percent of the required landscaping or setback area is eliminated by the driveway. Joint use driveways may be located within required landscaping or setback areas. Driveways for all other developments may cross or be located within required setbacks or landscaped areas in order to provide access between the off-street parking areas and the street, provided no more than 10 percent of the required landscaping is displaced by the driveway and the driveway is located no closer than five feet from any property line except where intersecting the street.

6. Parking spaces required per this Chapter shall be located as follows:

7. Lighting shall be provided for safety of traffic and pedestrian circulation on the site. It shall be designed to minimize direct lighting of abutting properties and adjacent streets and pursuant to the provisions of SMC 21.06.020.G. The director shall have the authority to waive the requirement to provide lighting.

8. Tandem or end-to-end parking is allowed in residential developments at a rate of one space for every 20 linear feet. Apartment and middle housing developments may have tandem parking areas for each dwelling unit but must not combine parking for separate dwelling units in tandem parking areas.

9. All vehicle parking and storage for residential dwellings may be provided unenclosed on an approved surface in subsection O of this section. A garage or carport is not required. Any impervious surface used for vehicle parking or storage must have direct and unobstructed driveway access.

10. The total number of vehicles parked or stored outside of a building on a single-family lot in the R-4 through R-8 zones, excluding recreational vehicles and trailers, shall not exceed six vehicles on lots 12,500 square feet or less and eight vehicles on lots greater than 12,500 square feet.

11. Vanpool/carpool parking areas shall meet the following minimum design standards:

12. Direct access from the street right-of-way to off-street parking areas shall be subject to the requirements of SMC 21.06.040.G.

13. No dead-end alley may provide access to more than eight off-street parking spaces.

14. Any parking stalls located in enclosed buildings must be totally within the enclosed building.

15. Parking lot design for nonresidential uses located in the R-1, R-4, R-6, and R-8 zoning designations shall be designed pursuant to the provisions of SMC 21.05.010.M.

16. Daycare I facilities shall provide sufficient area for the loading and unloading of passengers. This area shall:

1. Off-street parking areas shall have dust-free, all-weather surfacing. Typical approved sections are illustrated below. Frequently used (at least five days a week) off-street parking areas shall conform to the standards shown in Figure A below or an approved equivalent. If the parking area is to be used more than 30 days per year but less than five days a week, then the standards to be used shall conform to the standards shown in Figure B below or an approved equivalent. An exception to these surfacing requirements may be made for gravel, grass block pavers, or permeable pavement, when constructed to the design specifications in the Surface Water Design Manual and low impact design standards in SMC 21.03.030. Any surface treatment other than these exceptions and those graphically illustrated below must be approved by the director.

2. Grading work for parking areas shall meet the requirements of SMC 16.15.050. Drainage and erosion/sedimentation control facilities shall be provided in accordance with Chapter 9.04 KCC as adopted by SMC 21.03.050.

3. Asphalt or concrete surfaced parking areas shall have parking spaces marked by surface paint lines or suitable substitute traffic marking material in accordance with the Washington State Department of Transportation standards. Wheel stops are required where a parked vehicle would encroach on adjacent property, pedestrian access or circulation areas, right-of-way or landscaped areas. Typically approved markings and wheel stop locations are illustrated below.

1. There is no minimum number of charging station spaces required.

2. If electric vehicle charging stations are provided, a minimum of one accessible electric vehicle charging station should be located adjacent to any required designated accessible parking space. The electric vehicle charging space does not have to be designated as an accessible parking space.

3. Electric vehicle charging stations may be reserved for parking and charging electric vehicles only. The property owner may set hours and conditions of use on the spaces and the charging stations.

4. Electric vehicles may be parked in any space designated for public parking, subject to the restrictions that would apply to any other vehicle that would park in that space.

5. When a sign provides notice that a space is a designated electric vehicle charging station, no person shall park or stand any nonelectric vehicle in a designated electric vehicle charging station space. Any nonelectric vehicle is subject to fine or removal.

6. Any electric vehicle parked in any designated electric vehicle charging station space parked beyond the days and hours designated on regulatory signs posted at or near the space shall be subject to a fine and/or removal. For purposes of this subsection, “charging” means an electric vehicle is parked at an electric vehicle charging station and is connected to the charging station equipment.

7. The owner of the property may charge a fee for charging any electric vehicle.

1. Each space shall be clearly identified as a compact car space by painting the word “COMPACT” in capital letters, a minimum of eight inches high, on the pavement at the base of the parking space and centered between the striping;

2. Aisle widths shall conform to the standards set for standard size cars; and

3. Apartment developments with less than 20 parking spaces may designate up to 40 percent of the required parking spaces as compact spaces.

1. Sufficient availability of legal on-street parking stalls within 600 feet of the subject project between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. on two consecutive weekdays excluding Monday and Friday.

2. If off-street parking would otherwise result in noncompliance with tree retention standards in SMC 21.03.060. (Ord. O2024-578 § 2 (Att. A); Ord. O2021-540 § 2 (Att. A))

1. Specifying the on-site and off-site facilities and services that must be in place or otherwise assured of timely provision prior to development;

2. Allocating the cost of those facilities and services fairly; and

3. Providing a general framework for relating development standards and other requirements of this code to:

1. All new development proposals including any use, activity, or structure allowed by Chapter 21.05 SMC that requires City approval shall be adequately served by the following facilities and services prior to the time of occupancy, recording, or other land use approval, as further specified in this chapter:

2. All new development proposals and those that exceed 50% of the assessed value of improvements for building permits, plats, short plats, and lot line adjustments shall include a certificate of water availability and/or certificate of sewer availability to demonstrate compliance with this chapter and other provisions of the SMC, the City of Sammamish interim comprehensive plan, and the Growth Management Act. If water or sewer is not available from a water or sewer district the applicant shall provide verification from a water and sewer district along with information on when availability is expected in the future. Alternatives to public water and sewer service will be considered only if service from a water and sewer district is not available as defined in WAC 246-272A-0025.

3. Regardless of the number of sequential permits required, the provisions of this chapter shall be applied only once to any single development proposal. If changes and modifications result in impacts not considered when the proposal was first approved, the City shall consider the revised proposal as a new development proposal.

4. All plats, short plats, and binding site plans must be connected to public sewer and water.

5. On-site sewage systems are prohibited in geological hazard areas including landslide and erosion hazard areas.

6. Development of parcels in the Tamarack and Inglewood plats shall comply with all provisions of this section and ensure adequate facilities both during and following construction. All facilities shall be maintained to their built condition for the life of the project. Applicants must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the City that there is adequate vehicle and pedestrian access, adequate access for fire and life safety, connecting to sewer where feasible, when a septic system is required planning for the design early in the project, adequacy of construction access and staging, and the adequacy of stormwater facilities to minimize erosion during and following construction.

1. A public sewage disposal system is adequate for a development proposal provided that:

2. A private individual sewage system is adequate, if an on-site sewage disposal system for each individual building or lot is installed to meet the requirements and standards of the King County department of public health as to lot size, soils, and system design prior to issuance of a certificate of occupancy for a building or change of use permit.

1. A public water system is adequate for a development proposal provided that:

2. An on-site, individual water system is adequate and the plat or short plat may receive preliminary and final approval, and a building or change of use permit may be issued if:

1. The proposed system is adequate if the development proposal site is served by a surface water management system approved by the department as being consistent with the design, operating and procedural requirements of the King County surface water design manual and KCC Title 9 as adopted by SMC 21.03.050;

2. For a subdivision or zone reclassification, the phased installation of required surface water management improvements shall be stated in the approving ordinance. Such phasing may require that a bond or similar security be deposited with the City of Sammamish; and

3. A variance request from the requirements of the King County surface water design manual and KCC Title 9 as adopted by SMC 21.03.050 shall be reviewed as set forth in KCC 9.04.050 and does not require a variance from this Title unless relief is requested from a building height, setback, landscaping or other development standard set forth in SMC 21.04.030 through SMC 21.05.020.

4. All surface water management facilities shall be adequately maintained to the built condition and in accordance with all approved permits for the life of the development.

1. All new development shall be served by adequate streets. Streets are adequate if the development’s traffic impacts on surrounding public streets are acceptable under the level of service standards and the compliance procedures established in Chapter 21.08 SMC.

2. The renewal of permits or the issuance of a new permit for existing uses constitutes a new development proposal only if it will generate additional traffic above that currently generated by the use.

3. A variance request from the street cross-section or construction standards established by the City of Sammamish public works standards adopted by Chapter 21.08 SMC, and does not require a variance from this Title unless relief is requested from a building height, setback, landscaping or other development standard set forth in SMC 21.04.030 through SMC 21.05.020.

1. The property upon which the development proposed is to be located has direct access to:

2. The proposed circulation system of a proposed subdivision, short subdivision or binding site plan shall intersect with existing and anticipated streets abutting the site at safe and convenient locations, as determined by the department and the City engineer; and

3. Every lot upon which one or more buildings is proposed to be erected or traffic generating use is proposed to be established shall establish safe access as follows:

1. The site of the development proposed is served by a water supply system that provides at least minimum fire flow and a road system or fire lane system that provides life safety/rescue access, and other fire protection requirements for buildings as required by SMC Title 16, Buildings and Construction;

2. For a zone reclassification, the timing of installation of required fire protection improvements shall be stated in the approving ordinance, secured with a bond or similar security, and deposited with the City of Sammamish; and

3. A variance request from the requirements established by Chapter 16.05 SMC, Building Codes and Fire Code, shall be reviewed as set forth in Article 2 of the currently adopted edition of the Uniform Fire Code and does not require a variance from this Title unless relief is requested from a building height, setback, landscaping or other development standard set forth in SMC 21.04.030 through SMC 21.05.020.

1. The school concurrency standard set out in SMC 21.06.040.L shall apply to applications for preliminary plat approval, mobile home parks, requests for multifamily zoning, and building permits for multifamily housing projects that have not been previously evaluated for compliance with the concurrency standard.

2. The City’s finding of concurrency shall be made at the time of preliminary plat or UPD approval, at the time that a request to actualize potential multifamily zoning is approved, at the time a mobile home park site plan is approved, or prior to building permit issuance for multifamily housing projects that have not been previously established for compliance with the concurrency standard. Once such a finding has been made, the development shall be considered as vested for purposes of the concurrency determination.

3. Excluded from the application of the concurrency standard are:

4. All of the development activities that are excluded from the application of the concurrency standard are subject to school impact fees imposed pursuant to SMC 21.09.090, School Impact Fees.

5. The assessment and payment of impact fees are governed by and shall be subject to the provisions in SMC 21.09.090 addressing school impact fees.

6. A certification of concurrency for a school district shall not preclude the City from collecting impact fees for the district. Impact fees may be assessed and collected as long as the fees are used to fund capital and system improvements needed to serve the new development, and as long as the use of such fees is consistent with the requirements of Chapter 82.02 RCW and this chapter. Pursuant to Chapter 82.02 RCW, impact fees may also be used to recoup capital and system improvement costs previously incurred by a school district to the extent that new growth and development will be served by the previously constructed improvements or incurred costs.

1. In making a threshold determination pursuant to SEPA, the director and/or the hearing examiner, in the course of reviewing proposals for residential development including applications for plats, mobile home parks, or multifamily zoning, and multifamily building permits, shall consider the school district’s capital facilities plan as adopted by the City council.

2. Documentation that the district is required to submit to the City of Sammamish shall be incorporated into the record in every case without requiring the district to offer such plans and data into the record. The school district is also authorized to present testimony and documents demonstrating a lack of concurrency in the district and the inability of the district to accommodate the students to be generated by a specific development.

3. Based upon a finding that the impacts generated by the plat, mobile home park or the multifamily development were generally not anticipated at the time of the last City council review and approval of a school district capital plan and were not included in the district’s long-range forecast, the director may require or recommend phasing or provision of the needed facilities and/or sites as appropriate to address the deficiency or deny or condition approval, consistent with the provisions of this chapter, the State Subdivision Act, and the State Environmental Policy Act.

4. Determinations of the hearing examiner or director regarding concurrency can be appealed only pursuant to the provisions for appeal of the development permit process for which the determination has been made. Where no other administrative appeal process is available, an appeal may be taken to the hearing examiner using the appeal procedures for variances. Any errors in the formula identified as a result of an appeal should be referred to the City council for possible modifications.

5. Where the council has not adopted an impact fee ordinance for a particular school district, the language of this section shall not affect the authority or duties of the hearing examiner or the director pursuant to the State Environmental Policy Act or the State Subdivision Act.

1. Schools shall be considered to have been provided concurrently with the development that will impact the schools if:

2. Any combination of the following shall constitute the “necessary financial commitments” for the purposes of subsection 1. of this section:

3. Compliance with this concurrency requirement of this section shall be sufficient to satisfy the provisions of RCW 58.17.060 and 58.17.110.

1. Regulating the type, number, location, size, and illumination of signs; and

2. Recognizing the purpose of signs for identification and economic well-being of businesses in Sammamish; and

3. Ensuring a safe driving environment; and

4. Recognizing and protecting the use of the public right-of-way as a forum for noncommercial speech; and

5. Facilitating fair and consistent content-neutral enforcement; and

6. Safeguarding and enhancing property values, attracting new residents, and encouraging orderly development; and

7. Allowing for limited temporary commercial signage in the public right-of-way, to provide a flow of commercial information to consumers to enable them to make vital decisions of purchasing a home, and to further the critical public goal of providing for equal access to housing; and

8. Upholding the goals and policies of the Comprehensive Plan.

1. Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, no sign shall be erected, altered, or relocated within the City without a permit issued by the City.

2. No permit shall be required for repainting, cleaning, or other normal maintenance and repair of a permitted sign, or for sign face and copy changes that do not alter the size or structure of the sign.

1. Historic plaques, gravestones, and address numbers;

2. Official or legal notices issued and posted by any public agency or court;

3. Traffic control signs established by the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) or authorized by City of Sammamish department of public works;

4. Plaques, tablets, or inscriptions which are an integral part of the building structure or are attached flat to the face of the building, which are nonilluminated, and which do not exceed four square feet in surface area;

5. Incidental signs, which shall not exceed two square feet in surface area; provided, that said size limitation shall not apply to signs when established and maintained by a public agency;

6. Government flags; and

7. Nonverbal religious symbols attached to a place of worship.

1. Portable signs including, but not limited to, sandwich/A-frame signs and mobile readerboard signs, and excluding signs permitted under SMC 21.06.050.G;

2. Signs which, by reason of their size, location, movement, content, coloring, or manner of illumination, may be confused with traffic control signs or signals;

3. Signs located in the public right-of-way, except where permitted in this chapter; provided, that in no case shall temporary signs permitted under SMC 21.06.050.G be located within travel lanes or sidewalks, or be attached to traffic control signs, utility or signal poles;

4. Posters, pennants, strings of lights, blinking lights, balloons, searchlights, and other displays of a carnival nature; except as architectural features, or on a limited basis as seasonal decorations or as provided for in SMC 21.06.050.G as temporary commercial displays; and

5. Billboards.

1. Sign area for pole signs shall be calculated by determining the total surface area of the sign as viewed from any single vantage point, excluding support structures.

2. Sign area for letters or symbols painted or mounted directly on walls or monument signs or on the sloping portion of a roof shall be calculated by measuring the smallest single rectangle that will enclose the combined letters and symbols.

3. Sign area for signs contained entirely within a cabinet and mounted on a wall, roof, or monument shall be calculated by measuring the front surface area of the cabinet.

4. Sign area for temporary signs shall include all portions of the sign attached to the primary supporting structure of the sign, including material additions to the sign.

1. Table of Permitted Signs. The table below outlines the regulations for permanent signs in the City of Sammamish. All permanent signs must be approved through the permitting process. Unless otherwise stated herein, all permanent signs must be on site. No permanent sign may be placed in the City’s right-of-way.

2. Illumination of Permanent Signs. The table below outlines the regulations for illumination of permanent signs in the City of Sammamish. Temporary signs, governed by SMC 21.06.050.G, shall not be illuminated. All permanent signs, including the requested illumination, must be approved through the permitting process. All electrical components for signs shall be governed by Chapter 19.28 RCW and WAC 296-46-910.

KEY:

P Permitted, pursuant to permit issued by City

X Prohibited

1. Noncommercial Temporary Signs. No sign permit is required to post a noncommercial temporary sign in the public right-of-way or on private property if it meets the requirements in this section and in the following table. Noncommercial temporary signs not conforming to the regulations of this section may be approved through a right-of-way permit.

2. Temporary Commercial Displays. Signs, posters, pennants, strings of lights, blinking lights, balloons, and searchlights are permitted for a period of up to 30 consecutive days once each calendar year at businesses located in Sammamish in the CB, NB, or O zone. Temporary commercial displays shall meet the placement and dimensional standards for the sign type utilized.

3. Signs Located on Property with Active Construction.

4. Signs Associated with Properties for Sale or Rent.

1. Any sign located within the City limits on the date of adoption of the ordinance codified in this Title, or located in an area annexed to the City thereafter, which does not conform with the provisions of this code, shall be considered a legal nonconforming sign and is permitted, provided it also meets the following requirements:

2. Loss of Legal Nonconforming Status. Nonconforming signs shall not be altered in size, shape, height, location, or structural components without being brought to compliance with the requirements of this code. Repair and maintenance are allowable, but may require a permit if structural components require repair or replacement.

1. A sign variance is categorized as a Type 1 land use application and shall be subject to the requirements of SMC 21.09.100.C. Variances from the terms of this chapter may be granted by director of community development upon proper application. Variances may be granted when, because of unique circumstances applicable to the property, including size, shape, topography, location, or surroundings, the strict interpretation of the regulations of this chapter deprives such property of privileges enjoyed by other property in the vicinity and under identical zoning classifications.

2. The variance shall not constitute a grant of special privilege inconsistent with a limitation upon uses of other properties in the vicinity and zone in which such property is situated.

1. Compliance with Other Applicable Codes. All signs erected or altered under this chapter must comply with all applicable federal, state and local regulations relating to signs, including without limitation the provisions of the International Building Code as adopted in SMC 16.05.070 by the City. If any provision of this code is found to be in conflict with any provision of any zoning, building, fire, safety or health ordinance or code of the City, the provision which establishes the higher standard shall prevail.

2. Sign Maintenance. All permanent and temporary signs must be kept in good repair and in a safe manner at all times. The sign owner must repair damaged or deteriorated signs within 30 days of notification by the City. The area surrounding freestanding signs must be kept free of litter and debris at all times.

3. Inspection. Code enforcement officers are authorized to inspect any sign covered by this chapter for the purpose of inspection of the sign, its structural and electrical connections, and to ensure compliance with the provisions of this code. Such inspections shall be carried out during business hours, unless an emergency exists.

4. Abatement. In addition to the abatement authority provided by proceedings under SMC 21.09.110.C, the City or its agents may summarily remove any sign placed on a right-of-way or public property in violation of the terms of this chapter under the following circumstances:

5. Disposal of Signs. When a sign has been removed by the City as authorized by this section, the City shall take the following actions:

1. Interpreting the code to protect the visual and natural environmental beauty of the City of Sammamish; and

2. Facilitating fair and consistent design, siting, and deployment by providing a clear and predictable permit process for network providers and the community; and

3. Utilizing design and concealment concepts consistent with and complementary of colors and textures found in the natural and built environment; and

4. Protecting the use and purpose of the public right-of-way to ensure a safe driving and pedestrian environment; and

5. Providing an administrative review process to ensure that WCFs are evaluated in a fair and timely manner in accordance with other City goals and policies; and

6. Upholding the goals and policies of the Comprehensive Plan; and

7. Establishing clear regulations for the siting, design, maintenance, and operation of WCF consistent with state and federal regulations; and

8. Accommodating the growing need and demand for wireless services; and

9. Meeting the requirements of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules.

1. Minimize visual, safety, aesthetic, and environmental impacts of WCFs on the community by establishing standards for location, structural integrity, and compatibility; and

2. Encourage the location and collocation of wireless communication antennas on existing nonmunicipal structures; and

3. Ensure that wireless facility antennas and supporting equipment are proportionate in scale and design, as technically feasible, to other elements of the built environment; and

4. Ensure that equipment does not become a barrier or impediment to pedestrians, drivers, and cyclists; and

5. Provide an opportunity for residents and interested parties to provide comment on the proposed location and design of new towers and poles, when appropriate; and

6. Minimize the impact to public purpose of the public rights-of-way. Wireless facility use by network providers or their subcontractors is not an exclusive or priority use within the public right-of-way; and

7. Ensure regulations are fair and accommodate the maximum number of users.

1. Eligible Facilities Requests. An eligible facility request, meeting the definition of an “eligible facilities request” pursuant to Section 6409a. of the Middle-Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 and 47 CFR § 1.6100 (or as hereafter amended or recodified), shall not be required to obtain a land use permit and shall be allowed upon the issuance of the applicable permit(s) prior to deployment, installation, or construction. An application for an eligible facilities request exemption letter shall provide information as required by the director necessary to establish that the proposal qualifies as an eligible facilities request and if a proposal would substantially change the physical dimensions of a tower or base station, as defined in 47 CFR § 1.6100, or otherwise does not qualify as an eligible facilities request, the director shall deny a request for an exemption letter and the applicant shall apply for such other WCF permit as required pursuant to this chapter. Eligible facilities requests to add height to an existing structure where a bird nesting habitat feature/structure has been established at the top of the existing structure shall be allowed additional height beyond the limitations of an eligible facilities request to facilitate the relocation of the nest feature/structure and when the additional height is not for antennae extension and is the minimum necessary designed in consultation with a qualified habitat biologist.

2. VHF and UHF Receive-Only Television Antenna(s). VHF and UHF receive-only antenna(s) shall not be required to obtain a land use permit. VHF/UHF antenna(s) that are permitted outright shall be restricted to a height limit of no more than 10 feet above the existing or proposed roof.

3. Small Satellite Dish Antenna(s). Small dish antenna(s) in all zones shall not be required to obtain a land use permit in accordance with the Federal Telecommunications Act. Installation must comply with any applicable provisions of the City building code.

4. Temporary WCF for emergency communications equipment in anticipation of and during a declared public emergency or emergency exercise, and any other temporary WCF not operating for a duration of more than 30 days. Temporary WCF operating more than 30 days must obtain the appropriate wireless use permit.

5. Amateur Radio Facilities. Amateur radio (ham) towers are exempt from land use permits under this chapter and shall be permitted by right in all zones, pursuant to the FCC order entitled Amateur Radio Preemption, 101 FCC 2nd 952 (1985). Any height restrictions applicable to amateur radio (ham) towers may be waived by the director upon a showing by the applicant that the proposed amateur radio (ham) tower is the minimum necessary for the facility to function as proposed.

1. Unless exempt, no WCF shall hereafter be erected, re-erected, constructed, or altered unless the appropriate wireless use permit for the same has been issued by the City pursuant to this chapter. Further, some proposed WCF may also require other permitting, such as: shoreline permit, building permit, electrical permit, and/or right-of-way use permit (as applicable).

2. Types of Permits. Unless otherwise specified in this chapter, all permits shall comply with procedures of SMC 21.09.010.B.

3. Separate permits shall be required for each individual WCF installation; however, such separate permit applications may be submitted simultaneously (in batches). A network provider may elect to apply for a land use permit and a building/electrical permit as a consolidated application. The network provider acknowledges the building permit submittal is an at-risk permit and is dependent upon receiving and approving the land use permit.

4. Franchise agreements are required for all WCF and/or equipment in the right-of-way.

5. A Type C right-of-way utility permit is required for WCFs located in the public rights-of-way in accordance with SMC 21.08.060.F instead of the land use permits described in subsection 2. of this section. The City engineer or designee may process ROW permit applications for WCF permits concurrently with an application for a franchise agreement, but any such ROW permit will be conditioned on approval of the franchise agreement by the City council prior to construction or deployment of the WCF.

6. If a network provider desires to make a modification to an existing permitted WCF, including but not limited to expanding or changing the antenna type, increasing the equipment enclosure, placing additional pole mounted or ground mounted equipment, or modifying concealment elements, prior to deployment or construction of the modification the network provider shall apply for a permit under this chapter, unless the modification qualifies as an eligible facilities request, in which case, it is exempt from land use review pursuant to SMC 21.06.060.H and only building, electrical and/or right-of-way permits may be required, if applicable.

7. All applications shall be submitted using the City’s published submittal requirements. The submittal requirements are available on the City’s webpage; or from the City’s Permit Center.

8. All WCF authorizations and permits are subject to the federal review timelines (“shot clocks”) as described in 47 CFR § 1.6001 et seq. (or as hereafter amended).

1. Applications for Expedited Wireless Use Permits or Standard Wireless Use Permits for Small Wireless Facilities. Applications for expedited wireless use permits or standard wireless use permits for small wireless facilities do not require application notification to surrounding property owners. However, the applicant shall provide construction notice for work in the right-of-way via mail. The notice shall be provided no later than two weeks prior to any construction or land use alteration. The content of the construction notice shall be pursuant to the public works standards. Area of construction noticing shall be consistent subsection 2. of this section.

2. Applications for Conditional Use Permits for Small Wireless Facilities. The applicant shall provide written notification of proposed pole mounted or aboveground installation of equipment to all immediately adjacent/adjoining property owners. Adjacent is inclusive of a pole in the right-of-way and the two closest parcels on the same side of the street as the pole location as well as the two lots closest to the pole location across the street/ROW.

3. Macro Cell Facilities. The applicant shall provide written notification of any application for proposed equipment/structure installation to all owners of property within 1,000 feet of the proposed location.

4. Where notification is required, written notification shall include at a minimum: