Skip to the main content

City Hall to function as warming center

City Hall and other public facilities are closed for typical business Nov. 23, as crews clear away debris from this week's storm.  We encourage everyone to stay at home, shelter in place, until the roads are safe. If you need a place to warm up, City Hall will function as a warming center until 5 p.m. 

Careers Contact Us
Sammamish Town Center (not licensed)

Docket Requests

Management Analyst

Evan Fischer
(425) 295 0632
mail Subscribe to email alerts

The Docket Request Process

Each year, the City's Planning Commission and City Council consider updates, amendments, or revisions of the Comprehensive Plan and the Sammamish Municipal Code development regulations.

The first step in this process is the docket request. These requests can be submitted throughout the year via the online Docket Request form. 

Docket Request Types

Applicants must decide between two docket request types based on the amendments desired. Each type has a slightly different process, detailed below.

Two docket request types. One is a text amendment which changes the text of the Comprehensive Plan or the development regulations. The other is a site-specific land use map amendment which changes the designation on the Comprehensive Plan's Future Land Use Map.

Text Amendments

Text amendments include additions, modifications, or corrections to the text of the Comprehensive Plan or the Sammamish Municipal Code. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a Text Amendment Guidance Form before submitting a Docket Request.

Site-Specific Land Use Map Amendments

Site-Specific Land Use Map amendments may be requested for a single property or for small groups of properties. Please refer to the image below.

site-specific land use map amendments. Illustration of a single house with the words single property underneath it. Illustration of three houses with a plus symbol and three people with the words up to three adjoining properties with one or more owners underneath them. Illustration of six houses and plus symbol and one person with the words up to six adjoining properties with one owner underneath them.

A Pre-Application Conference is required before a Docket Request Form for a Site-Specific Land Use Map Amendment can be submitted.

This meeting helps those interested in a Site-Specific Land Use Map Amendment learn about the application requirements and process.

The fee for a Pre-Application Conference will be collected before the conference begins. Please refer to the latest version of the Fee Schedule for the amount.

Common Questions

Below are some frequently asked questions related to the annual docket process.

What is the Comprehensive Plan?

Sammamish is a city planning under the Growth Management Act (Chapter 36.70A RCW). Therefore, the City must adopt a Comprehensive Plan and review and update it every ten years. The Comprehensive Plan includes goals, objectives, policies, actions, and standards. These are intended to guide day-to-day decisions by elected officials and local government staff.

The Comprehensive Plan is the City's official policy statement on how it will manage growth. The City of Sammamish adopted its first Comprehensive Plan in 2003 as well as a full update in 2015. The 2015 Comprehensive Plan serves as a framework for decisions over a 20-year planning period. It focuses on land use, housing, capital facilities, utilities, parks and recreation, and environment and conservation. It includes mandated and optional elements.

The latest Comprehensive Plan update is underway and will be finalized at the end of 2024. To learn more, please visit envisionsammamish2044.org.

What are Development Regulations?

The Revised Code of Washington 36.70A.030(7) defines development regulations as the controls placed on development or land use activities by a county or City, including, but not limited to:

  • zoning ordinances,
  • critical areas ordinances,
  • shoreline master programs,
  • official controls,
  • planned unit development ordinances,
  • subdivision ordinances, and
  • binding site plan ordinances
  • as well as any related amendments to those items.

Sammamish's development regulations are found in the Sammamish Development Code.

How is a Site-Specific Land Use Map Amendment Different From a Zoning Reclassification?

A Site-Specific Land Use Map Amendment changes the Comprehensive Plan's future land use designation for a property/properties. A zone reclassification changes the zoning of a property on the current zoning map.

If City Council approves the amendment proposal, approval will be contingent on the Zone Reclassification approval.

Applicants have 90 days after City Council approval to submit a Zone Reclassification Application. A Zone Reclassification is a Type 3 land use action. It is subject to a hearing and decision by the Hearing Examiner.

What Happens After I Submit a Request?

Once your request is received and all fees have been paid, staff will review your request for the following:

  • Completeness (ensuring all required materials are provided and sufficient information is included)
  • Whether the request meets the requirements of the Sammamish Municipal Code
  • Alignment of the request with the City work plan, current policies, and programmatic priorities; and
  • Whether City staff have the time and resources to do a full review of the request the following year.

The above assessment, along with the information provided in your request, will be integrated into a presentation. The information will be presented to the Planning Commission and City Council.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to attend the Planning Commission and City Council meetings. This gives them the opportunity to provide comments on their requests if they choose to do so.

Who Decides Whether an Amendment Proposal Is Approved?

The City Council has decision-making authority over all Comprehensive Plan AND development regulation amendment proposals. The City Council has broad authority to approve, deny, modify, or defer an amendment proposal.