Our family moved to Sammamish four years ago, for the same reasons that drew us all: open spaces, excellent schools, safety and natural beauty. We had no idea that the character of Sammamish was being threatened by some of the very people elected to protect it.

Over the past four years, we have seen huge plots of land on 228th Avenue Southeast and Issaquah-Pine Lake Road cut clear of trees to squeeze in ever more houses. Our traffic is worse and our schools are quickly becoming overcrowded. Sammamish is growing quickly, but not responsibly.

If you think we’ve seen the end of this, get ready for the Conner-Jarvis project along Issaquah-Pine Lake Road, slated to begin in the spring of 2016. This is a 75-acre parcel of interconnected wetlands, wildlife corridors, Laughing Jacob’s Lake, and Laughing Jacob’s Creek — one of only four streams that supports the endangered Lake Sammamish Kokanee salmon. The city has approved it for 115 high-density homes and, remarkably, our city manager has determined that the project will have no significant environmental impacts.

We are faced with an important choice in this upcoming local election. We can re-elect the same council members who seem to reside in the deep pockets of the developers, or we can elect council members with backbone and integrity who are not afraid to stand up and protect the character of Sammamish, the environment, and our opinions.

Because this election truly matters, I have studied the candidates closely. Ramiro Valderrama, Christie Malchow, and Tom Hornish have earned my vote.

Dr. Kimberly Schrier, Sammamish