Annual Docket Requests
The Comprehensive Plan Update
The City of Sammamish invites the public to weigh in on its future through its comprehensive planning effort, “Envision Sammamish 2044.” While the Annual Docket Process allows the City Council and Planning Commission to consider updates, amendments, or revisions each year, the City's Comprehensive Plan goes through a complete update every 10 years.
The 2024 Comprehensive Plan Update is well underway and we encourage all residents, homeowners, and renters alike, along with our business and community leaders, to join a conversation that shapes the City’s future.
How to suggest amendments to the Comprehensive Plan
If you'd like to suggest items or amendments to be considered as part of the Comprehensive Plan update, please use the submission form located on the home page of EnvisionSammamish2044.org.
Submit your comments to comment@envisionsammamish2044.org
Questions? Please reach out to info@envisionsammamish2044.org
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, which can be submitted throughout the year using 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.
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.
Submit Text Amendment Guidance Form
The guidance form helps staff understand applicant goals so that they can make recommendations to assist applicants in submitting the Docket Request Form.
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 as detailed below.
Pre-Application Conference is required before a Docket Request Form for a Site-Specific Land Use Map Amendment can be submitted.
The Pre-Application Conference is an in-person meeting designed to help those interested in applying for a Site-Specific Land Use Map Amendment learn more 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.
Submission Deadline
SMC 24A.10.010 requires that docket requests be submitted by the annual deadline of 5:00 PM on the first Monday of August of each year.
For 2024, the annual deadline is August 5th by 5:00 PM.
Frequently Asked Questions
As a city planning under the Growth Management Act (Chapter 36.70A RCW), Sammamish must adopt a Comprehensive Plan and review and update it every eight years. The Comprehensive Plan includes goals, objectives, policies, actions, and standards that 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 includes mandated and optional elements and serves as a framework for decisions over a 20-year planning period focused on land use, housing, capital facilities, utilities, parks and recreation, and environment, and conservation.
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 Municipal Code.
A Site-Specific Land Use Map Amendment changes the future land use designation for a property/properties and a zone reclassification changes the zoning of the property on the current zoning map.
Should City Council decide to approve the amendment proposal, their approval will be contingent on the approval of a Zone Reclassification.
Applicants have 90 days after City Council approval to submit a Zone Reclassification Application. A Zone Reclassification is a Type 3 land use action that is subject to a hearing and decision by the Hearing Examiner.
Our online system will provide you with an auto-confirmation upon submittal and will email a pdf copy of your form. After this, 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 & resources to do a full review of the request in the following year.
The above assessment, along with the information provided in your request, will be integrated into a presentation that will be given to the Planning Commission and City Council.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to attend the Planning Commission and City Council meetings and have the opportunity to provide comments on their request at these meetings if they choose to do so.
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.
Site-Specific Land Use Map Amendment applications currently under review