The city of Sammamish is being sued by King County for rejecting two permit applications for the East Lake Sammamish Trail project for reasons which the county contends are “unlawful” and “arbitrary.”

According to court documents filed Jan. 3 with the King County Superior Court Clerk, King County argues the city’s “refusal to deem these two clearing and grading permit applications complete even though King County has met the application requirements is arbitrary and capricious.”

Completion of the 3.6-mile segment B of East Lake Sammamish Trail, the trail’s final segment which runs from Southeast 33rd Street to Inglewood Hill Road in Sammamish, requires the county to obtain Shoreline Substantial Development Permits (SSDP) and the corresponding clearing and grading permits from the city. The project also includes the design of the Inglewood parking lot that would serve the trail.

The county states in the court documents that it submitted its application materials on Oct. 19, with the city responding on Nov. 15 that all applications were incomplete and required additional materials. One of the items Sammamish listed as necessary for the clearing and grading permit applications was an approved SSDP permit.

The county states it provided additional information on Nov. 30 while also contending, regarding the clearing and grading applications, that the city “requiring approval of the corresponding SSDP was unlawful as a prerequisite for a complete application.”

On Dec. 13, the county reports the city indicated the SSDP permits were complete but the clearing and grading permit applications remained incomplete without an approved SSDP.

The county is asking the court to order Sammamish to deem the applications complete as of Nov. 30.

Sammamish communications manager Tim Larson said the city was unable to comment on the matter.