The return of the housing market that is driving people to move to Sammamish has caused the rolling of bulldozers and downing of trees. It’s many of those same newcomers like Malchow and Hornish that claim the council is responsible.

The citizen groups that they belong to, Malchow as treasurer of Citizens for Sammamish and Hornish as president of the SHO Group, are partly responsible for this “construction destruction.”

During the 2013 Critical Areas Update several of their members sat on the Planning Commission and recommended significant roll-backs in environmental protections and flexibility and incentives to property owners including pilot projects in the “No Disturbance Areas” of the Plateau edges. That flexibility in the code is what developers cleverly exploit.

The current council is trying to address some of these code deficiencies. Mark Cross is retired as a land use planner with the city of Bellevue. He is a strong environmental advocate. He understands city code. He’s thoughtful, collaborative and his experience is very much needed on the council along with Tom Vance. Elect experience that supports a livable Sammamish. Vote for Mark Cross and Tom Vance.

Marianne Wilkins, Sammamish