Sammamish controls blighted property through its Building and Property Maintenance Code (SMC Chapter 16.25) and the civil code compliance system in SMC Title 23. Exterior property must be kept clean, safe and sanitary, vacant land must not cause a blighting problem, and all code violations are declared public nuisances under SMC 23.30.010.
Sammamish does not have a standalone 'blight' chapter; it regulates deteriorated and unsanitary property through SMC Chapter 16.25 (the Sammamish Building and Property Maintenance Code) and enforces it under SMC Title 23, Civil Code Compliance. SMC 16.25.195 makes the property owner responsible for maintaining structures and exterior property and states that vacant structures and vacant land must be 'maintained in a clean, safe, secure and sanitary condition... so as not to cause a blighting problem or adversely affect the public health or safety.' SMC 16.25.200(1) requires all exterior property to be kept in a clean, safe and sanitary condition, and SMC 16.25.200(7) prohibits graffiti and defacement, making the owner responsible for restoring defaced surfaces. Under SMC 23.30.010, 'All code violations are determined to be detrimental to the public health, safety, welfare and environment, and are declared to be public nuisances.' Seriously dilapidated structures can also be pursued as 'dangerous buildings' or unfit dwellings under SMC 16.25.150 and SMC Chapter 23.130 (which adopts Chapter 35.80 RCW). Enforcement follows the graduated process in Title 23: notice and order, voluntary compliance agreements, civil penalties and, ultimately, abatement by the City.
Allowing exterior property, a vacant structure or vacant land to become unsanitary, unsafe or blighted violates SMC 16.25.195 and 16.25.200 and is a public nuisance under SMC 23.30.010. Enforcement runs through SMC Title 23: notice and order, then civil penalties under SMC 23.100.010 of $250/day (days 1–15), $500/day (days 16–31) and $1,000/day (31+ days), plus possible abatement by the City with costs assessed as a lien.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Sammamish does not prohibit backyard composting, and curbside yard waste/compost collection is available citywide. Curbside garbage, recycling, and yard-wast...
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Artificial turf is allowed in Sammamish and counts as 'yard area' for landscaping purposes. However, the city's surface water rules (based on the King County...
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Sammamish encourages native and drought-tolerant landscaping and requires it in certain contexts. The landscaping code (SDC 21.07.070) calls for drought-tole...
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Rainwater harvesting is legal in Sammamish and across Washington. Under a 2009 Washington Department of Ecology policy, collecting rooftop rainwater for on-s...
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The City of Sammamish runs no water utility and imposes no mandatory citywide watering restrictions. Water comes from special-purpose districts — chiefly Sam...
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Sammamish does not set a numeric weed-height limit, but its landscaping standards (SDC 21.07.070) prohibit any plant on the King County noxious weed list acr...
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