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Posted By Dwight on June 26, 2010
The above graph shows that we had some very high winter lake levels this year, but we were trending down to typical seasonal levels. Then Lake levels really spiked in April and June, quickly rising and slowly falling.
The blue line is this year, the brown line is an average of the previous four years, which shows an average June 1 level at about 26.5.
I Have asked both King County Flood Control and the Army Corp of Engineers why they think we are have such historic high levels. Although we have had a wet Spring, it has not been extreme, like the lake level has. I will report back as I learn more.
Dwight
Lake Sammamish High Water Levels-Unprecedented
Posted By Dwight on June 26, 2010
Many docks are underwater, July 4 parties are being canceled, and water levels on Lake Sammamish are more like mid-winter then early summer. Can you trust the recollection of old timers who say ” I have never seen anything like this in all my years”? Yes you can. The United States Geological Survey has daily records of lake levels that go back to 1939. I went back and looked at June 12 lake levels for those 71 years and we are at an all time high. In the last 45 years, since the weir was built to control the flow at the outlet of the lake, the June 12 level has averaged 26.37, two feet below this years June 12 elevation of 28.34. This is important because most docks on the lake are built for summer use at about elevation 27.00. Just a casual observation; 75% of the docks on the lake are underwater, many by more than a foot!
More to come,
Dwight
Lake Sammamish Island
Posted By Dwight on June 18, 2010
It’s not every day that we see an island floating on Lake Sammamish.
While kayaking last weekend we spotted this clump of land, complete with grass and a tree, bobbing along the lake.
Apparently the unusually high water level saturated a section of the shoreline. Then the wind—which usually comes out of the south—shifted to the north. A tree caught the wind like a sail and dislodged the clump from the shore, sending it off toward the northwest end of the lake.
That’s where the outlet to the Sammamish River is. It made me wonder if the floating island would create a blockage, or diminish flow rate of the water from the lake to the river.
So I kept my camera handy, and watched. 
Medina & Mercer Island SMP’s: More Winds of Change
Posted By Dwight on February 3, 2010
Shoreline Master Plan updates are just getting underway in Medina, and nearing completion on Mercer Island. Here’s the latest information:
Last fall, Medina sent postcards to residents that asked for their input to the new plan. Robert Grumbach, Medina’s Director of Development Services, said that the city hopes to hold its first public meeting on the new SMP in the spring, and complete the updated plan by July 2012. The current plan can be viewed by clicking on www.medina-wa.gov
On Mercer Island, SMP workshops are being conducted and Planner Travis Sauders said that a revised plan will be submitted to the City Council for review this spring; it will then go on to the State Department of Ecology for its approval. For the most up-to-date information on Mercer Island’s plan, click on www.mercergov.org/smp
As I learn more information I’ll be sure to keep you posted.
Dwight
Shoreline Master Plans: The Winds of Change are Blowing Across Your Lake
Posted By Dwight on December 17, 2009
First, a little background on what stirred these breezes up in the first place.
Over six years ago, the State of Washington initiated a new generation of shoreline management guidelines, requiring each municipality to create a plan that balances shoreline development with ecological preservation.
As a resident of Lake Sammamish and Builder on the Lake, I have been actively involved in the City of Sammamish’s Shoreline Master Plan (SMP), and have kept my eye on the plans being developed by surrounding cities.
If you have a home on a lake, the SMPs will hit you where you live—especially if you are thinking of building a new house or remodeling your existing structure.
Each SMP has its own set of complexities that make a thorough discussion here impossible. Instead, here’s a roundup of where our local cities stand on revising their regulations; click on the links for each city to find out more detailed information.
And if you would like to discuss anything in particular with me, please call 425-868-4217 or send me an e-mail via the link above. I will update this information as developments emerge.
The City of Bellevue’s SMP will impact Lake Washington, Lake Sammamish, Phantom Lake, Kelsey Creek and Mercer Slough. Throughout the first half of 2010, the city will complete its Shoreline Environment Designation, Policy and Regulation Development, and a Cumulative Impacts Analysis and Restoration Plan, and then submit the new SMP to the State Department of Ecology next summer. For more information click here.
Issaquah is continuing public hearings on its SMP, and will hold the next one on January 14, 2010. Shorelines in Issaquah’s jurisdiction are Lake Sammamish, the main stem of Issaquah Creek, and East Fork Issaquah Creek. For more information click here.
On December 1 Kirkland’s City Council formally adopted its new SMP for submission to the State Department of Ecology for approval. To find out what is in the plan click here.
The City of Redmond’s SMP was put into effect in August and impacts parts of Lake Sammamish, the Sammamish River, Bear Creek and Evans Creek. You can read the plan in its entirety here.
Building a Business Plan by Building Quality Relationships
Posted By Dwight on November 11, 2009
I have been a member of Builder 20-a group of top homebuilders from around the country for 11 years, and every time we meet I learn something new. Often it’s about the industry; one of our objectives is to review best practices and share the latest advances in design and construction.
But sometimes I learn something new about myself.
Last month I hosted the group here on Lake Sammamish, and we spent the first day in a workshop called the “20 minute business plan.” The first step was to identify what personal values are important to us, and then build a plan around those values.
The moderator handed us a list of 77 characteristics that included things like commitment, accountability, honesty and growth. Each of us was supposed to circle our top ten values.
I circled 39. I mean, how could I not circle attributes like “internal harmony,” “ethical practice” and “ecological awareness”? Those are important to me, but I had to limit it to ten and then rank the top five. So here they are:
- Quality relationships
- Personal development
- Excellence/competence
- Nature
- Financial gain
What surprised me was that I value quality relationships over everything else.
This made me stop and think, and suddenly I realized that when my clients are happy, I’m happy. It drives what I do. I want to build a house that makes their life better. I enjoy collaborating with customers and discovering how they are going to use their home, and then building a place that meets their needs, desires and budget.
In the earliest stages of construction I like to imagine my customer, sitting in his or her new kitchen, enjoying a cup of coffee. I try to picture what they see, and how I can create a beautiful frame for their view of the world.
I want the homes I build for my clients to be comfortable, durable and beautiful.
Comfort is paramount-it is the definition of “home.”
A beautiful home is a source of pleasure and pride-a place that lifts the spirits and defines their world from the inside out.
A durable home adds lasting value to their lives.
Whenever I meet these criteria, I have a happy customer.
And that is what I value most.
Shoreline Setback Options
Posted By Dwight on June 3, 2009
City of Sammamish Shoreline setbacks
I am often asked a simple question, how close can I build to the lake? Like many simple questions, the answer is fairly complex. I will try to reduce it to the basics in this post. These comments are primarily about properties within the City of Sammamish. As the City is currently rewriting its Shoreline Master Plan (SMP), these comments will include some of the proposed changes which are being considered. The new rules may be in force by the end of 2009.
Lake Sammamish
There are two overlapping regulations on the Lake Sammamish Shoreline. Current shoreline rules allow for a 20’ setback in most cases, however the City’s Critical Areas Ordinance has a setback requirement of 50’ with reductions allowed to a minimum of 20’. I won’t go into why there are two sets of overlapping regulations in this post, suffice it to say current practice in the City is to use the most restrictive version for new permit applications.
I have created a worksheet for calculating the variable setback for Lake Sammamish. The idea is, if you do good things for the Lake, you may build closer to it:
Standard Buffer Requirement 45’
Additional Building Setback +5’
Total Setback Requirement 50’
Possible Setback Reductions:
A. Limit Lawns to 20% of Lot Area -5’
B. Limit use of Hebrides and Fertilizers1 -5’
C. Preserve or Enhance vegetation in the near shore area (below OWHM) 2 -5’
D. Preserve or Restore 75% of the Lakefront area (vegetation landward of OHWM) 3 -10’
The above options allow for a maximum Setback Reduction of 25’, which would make for a total setback of 25’ from the Ordinary High Water Mark.
E. Preserve or Restore the natural shoreline condition (removal of concrete bulkheads)4 -15’
The following option is proposed for the new SMP, but not yet approved:
F. Restore shoreline water ward of existing bulkheads with gravels and vegetation5 -10’
Any combination of the above setback reductions may be used, but the minimum setback allowed for new construction or additions is 20’ from the OHWM. If you want to build closer to Lake Sammamish you would need a Shoreline Variance. It is highly unlikely that a variance would be approved.
Pine and Beaver Lakes
Lots on Pine and Beaver Lake are much deeper than those along East Lake Sammamish Parkway. The required setback for Pine Lake and Beaver Lake is currently 50’ from the OHWM. There are no requirements for planting native vegetation along the shoreline at this time. The City Council is discussion this option, but there is no suggestion at that the 50’ setback should be changed.
I hope this brief discussion of Shoreline setbacks in the City of Sammamish is helpful to you. This is not a comprehensive analysis for any specific property. If you have questions about a specific location you should ask for a meeting with a City Planner and discuss your concerns. If you would like a feasibility study for your property I would be glad to help you with it.
All my best,
Dwight K. Martin
www.builderonthelake.com
425-868-4217
1 Through a vegetation management plan.
2 For 5’ below the Ordinary High Water Mark (OHWM), i.e. emergent vegetation in the water part time.
3 Re-vegetate or preserve existing vegetation, up to 25% non-native plants and 75% native varieties.
4 Includes restoration of topography (bulkhead removal), soil composition, and vegetation.
5 This option provides for improved shorelines without the loss of a bulkhead. In some cases bulkheads should remain in place to protect property from erosion. Green Shorelines approved option.
Sammamish Home Owners Web Page
Posted By Dwight on March 22, 2009
The Sammamish Home Owners Group is working with the City to create a fair and effective Shoreline Master Program. We are recruiting members and drafting amendments to the proposed code. The Draft Plan, as it stands, is excessively restrictive and does not allow for some of the best practices in shoreline management. This effort has been a lot of work, but has its’ own rewards. I have very much enjoyed getting to know some great neighbors, the City Council, and City Staff.
One of our members has created a great website; http://sites.google.com/site/lakesammhomeowners/Home
Thanks for that Ed!
Dwight Martin
Notice to Homeowners
Posted By Dwight on February 20, 2009
PROPOSED ORDINANCES FROM THE CITY OF SAMMAMISH WILL AFFECT YOUR PROPERTY RIGHTS AND PROPERTY VALUES!
IT’S NOT TOO LATE!! JOIN YOUR NEIGHBORS IN STANDING UP AND SPEAKING OUT AGAINST UNREASONABLE RESTRICTIONS ON
- Building or re-building your dream house on the lake
- Building or repairing your dock or bulkhead
- Adding a garage, a greenhouse or addition to your home
- Landscaping, lighting, and much more…
The City of Sammamish is updating its Shoreline Master Plan which will affect anyone with property within 200 feet of the shorelines of Lake Sammamish, Beaver Lake and Pine Lake. The new plan — currently under consideration — imposes significant restrictions on our homes and properties. Once adopted, these rules will be very difficult to change. Now is the time to take action and ensure the changes not only preserve and enhance our lakes as important natural resources but also preserve the rights of property owners along their shores.
Many of your neighbors have joined together as the Sammamish Homeowners in an effort to understand the proposed changes and work together to protect our rights. We are making a concerted effort to contact Sammamish City Council members and voice our concerns through writing letters, meeting with Council members and the Mayor, and attending Council meetings. Time is short however — we have only a few months for us to make a difference. We need help from all of you along the lake…and now!!
If you too are concerned, please contact us via email at [email protected] to be added to our contact list. Talk to your neighbors about the City’s plan, become familiar with the changes that could soon affect all of us, and join us at our next meeting!
UPCOMING MEETINGS:
Sammamish Homeowners: Saturday, February 14, 10:00 am, Fire Station 83, 3425 Issaquah Pine Lake Rd. SE, Sammamish, WA 98075 (http://www.eastsidefire-rescue.org/sta83.htm).
City Council Study Session: Tuesday, February 17, 6:30 pm, Sammamish City Hall, 801 228th Ave SE, Sammamish, WA 98075.
Sammamish Homeowners: Saturday, February 21, 10:00 am, Fire Station 83, 3425 Issaquah Pine Lake Rd. SE, Sammamish, WA 98075 (http://www.eastsidefire-rescue.org/sta83.htm).
SAMMAMISH HOMEOWNERS
[email protected]