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Sammamish Town Center (not licensed)

Land Acquisition

looking through a gap between cedar trees across a wide sloped lawn with criss-crossing dirt paths

What is land acquisition?

Land acquisition is the process of procuring property through purchase, donation, conservation, etc. Between 1999 and 2021, the City has acquired 675 acres of public land.

Why is the City acquiring land?

The recent increase in private development throughout Sammamish has started conversations about acquiring more land to:

  • protect habitat;
  • retain tree canopy; and
  • preserve the natural beauty and character of the community.

The City Council and City Administration are committed to preserving open space in Sammamish for the benefit of future generations. The City recognizes public acquisition may provide the only opportunity to preserve land under increasing development pressure. The primary goal of the land evaluation process is to guide the preservation of the City’s remaining relatively undeveloped parcels.

Land Acquisition Strategy & Implementation Program

In 2017, the City adopted a Land Acquisition Strategy & Implementation Program. There are two purposes to this program:

  1. The first is prioritizing acquisition efforts.
  2. The second is standardizing the evaluation process used by City staff to screen properties for Council consideration.

The early stages of this program involved an extensive public outreach process. The intent was to better understand specific community desires regarding new land acquisitions. The results confirmed that the community overwhelmingly supports the acquisition of land for public use.

The community’s highest priorities are for:

  • new trails;
  • preserving tree canopy;
  • protecting streams and corridors;
  • preserving wildlife habitat; and
  • increasing waterfront access.

Acquisition efforts are focused on properties that will help preserve Sammamish’s natural beauty and provide greater recreational opportunities. Acquisition can support the vision of trail connectivity. 

Sammamish Park Land Acquisition History

Year Acquired Park Name Acreage
1999 East Sammamish Park 19
1999 Evans Pond Trail 0.5
1999 Northeast Sammamish Park 6
1999 Pine Lake Park 19
2000 Evans Creek Preserve 174
2001 Ebright Creek Park 12
2001 Sammamish Landing 4
2002 Sammamish Commons 27
2002 Beaver Lake Preserve 59
2003 Beaver Lake Park 83
2005 Additional Evans Creek Preserve Parcels 5
2006 Illahee Trail 13
2007 Steve and Rosina Kipper Preserve 17
2008 Additional Sammamish Landing Parcels 6.3
2011 Big Rock Park Site A 16
2011 Thirty Acres Park (Soaring Eagle) 30
2013 Additional Evans Creek Preserve Parcels 28
2013 Additional Parcels Along Sahalee Way 7
2013 Big Rock Park Site B 20
2016 Klahanie Park 64
2018 Additional Parcels Along Sahalee Way 11.15
2018 Property Along George Davis Creek 0.75
2018 Beaton Hill Park 9.32
2020 Property Along NE 6th St 13.7
2021 Parker Properties 14.88
2021 Big Rock Park South 14.87
2024 Landa Property 1.67
    TOTAL: 676.14

Suggest a site!

The City is currently accepting site nominations for staff consideration. If you think the City should consider a specific property, please give us more information using the Site Nomination Form.