The Sammamish Ace Hardware, a highly prized local service, will close next year. Ace’s lease will not be extended. Efforts to relocate to the Sammamish Town Center failed.

Ace located a suitable piece of land, had the full support of landowners in the area, and between landowners and Ace, approximately $95,000 was spent on plan development. However, due to a lack of support and flexibility from the city, extremely costly fees, onerous regulations, and a not all together disguised desire to see nothing happen in the town center, plans to move to the town center hit a brick wall.

Ace Hardware’s demise means 25 people will be out of work. Traffic on and off the plateau will increase. City revenue will go down.

This outcome reflects the reality of the town center plan and regulations. They exist to create the illusion that Sammamish intends to respect growth management requirements. In reality, past and present city council members do not want a town center. They only want civic services.

Meanwhile, town center landowners have seen their properties taken by the city. Citizens are forced to leave the plateau for basic services, and the city’s long term sustainability is undermined.

John Galvin, Sammamish