Sammamish Unified Development Code

Environment & Sustainability | Purpose and Intent

21.03.010 Purpose and Intent

6. Measuring the quantity and quality of wetland and stream resources and preventing overall net loss of wetland and stream functions and values; 7. Protecting the public trust as to navigable waters and aquatic resources; 8. Meeting the requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program and maintaining the City as an eligible community for federal flood insurance benefits; 9. Alerting members of the public including, but not limited to, appraisers, owners, potential buyers or lessees to the development limitations of critical areas; 10. Establishing special district overlays with alternative development standards for increasing minimum requirements to address unique site characteristics in areas of increased sensitivity; 11. Providing City officials with sufficient information to protect critical areas; and 12. Providing the public with a clear review and approval process for the development of sites constrained by critical areas.

[Reserved]

21.03.020 Environmentally Critical Areas A. Purpose

The purpose of this chapter is to implement the goals and policies of the Washington State Growth Management Act, Chapters 36.70A and 36.70B RCW, the State Environmental Policy Act, Chapter 43.21C RCW, and the City of Sammamish Comprehensive Plan, as amended, that call for protection of the functions and values of the natural environment and the public health and safety by: 1. Establishing development standards to protect defined critical areas; 2. Protecting members of the public and public resources and facilities from injury, loss of life, property damage or financial loss due to flooding, erosion, landslides, seismic events, soil subsidence or steep slope failures; 3. Protecting unique, fragile, and valuable elements of the environment including, but not limited to, wildlife and its habitat; 4. Requiring mitigation of unavoidable impacts on environmentally critical areas by regulating alterations in or near critical areas; 5. Preventing cumulative adverse environmental impacts on water availability, water quality, groundwater, wetlands, and streams;

B. Applicability

1. The provisions of this chapter shall apply to all land uses in the City of Sammamish, and all persons within the City shall comply with the requirements of this chapter. 2. The City shall not approve any development proposal or otherwise issue any authorization to alter the condition of any land, water or vegetation or to construct or alter any

60 | Title 21: Sammamish Development Code

Effective | January 1, 2022

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