While many residents of Clyde Hill were on summer vacation, the City Council made a move that could have a lasting impact on local governance—and not for the better. On July 30, in a narrow 3-2 vote, the Council passed a motion that significantly alters the process for public input on crucial development decisions. This controversial decision eliminates public hearings and comments at the Planning Commission level but maintains them at the City Council level. By concentrating more decision-making power within the City Council and bypassing the Planning Commission, this change reduces the community’s role in shaping the future of Clyde Hill.
This vote didn’t just come out of nowhere; it resulted from months of debate and behind-the-scenes maneuvering. Councilmember Dean Hachamovitch argued that bypassing the Planning Commission was necessary to alleviate its workload and expedite the approval process for Type 5 permits—permits that cover significant issues like land use and zoning changes. But this reasoning didn’t sit well with everyone. During a meeting earlier this summer, Councilmembers Ryan Olson and Steve Sinwell pushed back hard. Sinwell has commented “we continue to have dialog about the PC (as opposed to “with the PC”). Councilmember Hachamovitch has broken trust with the planning commission targeting the community volunteers work publicly over the last year. Mayor Friedman has not publicly denounced this behavior. Olson and Sinwell argued that retaining the Planning Commission is crucial for ensuring development decisions reflect residents’ interests and for avoiding potential legal challenges from bypassing established state required procedures and laws. Olson, “I would not concur, I do think we need more input from public, I will still be voting no on this.” Sinwell commented “The last meeting that we spoke about this … early June, and I think we all, most of us, agreed that we wanted more throughput. One of the concerns we had was we called it checks and balances. We talked about stuff like super majority (4 of 5 vote), we talked about making sure there are at least two bites at the apple for the public to hear these things, and so I was a little surprised—frankly, disappointed—when I saw this ordinance because it … seemed not to recognize that discussion on June 11th.” City attorney Tom Brubaker also weighed in, “The planning commission is an independent legislative body … it is most appropriate to have public hearings in front of the planning commission.”
The vote (held on July 30th) was expected to be close, with two councilmembers firmly against the proposal and two in favor, leaving Councilmember Kim Muromoto as the potential swing vote. Up until the final moments, it seemed like Muromoto might side with Olson and Sinwell. During the previous council meeting, he had stood up to Hachamovitch, advocating for a supermajority vote (4 of 5) for such significant land use changes, and had voiced concerns about eliminating public hearings.
But then, something changed. During the July 30th meeting, Muromoto suddenly flipped his position, joining Hachamovitch and Councilmember Lisa Slivka to form a majority (3-2). This unexpected shift has left many residents and observers scratching their heads, especially given Muromoto’s earlier stance. What caused this dramatic turnaround? That will likely remain between Muromoto, Hachamovitch, and Slivka.
Another particularly concerning issue is the timing of this vote. The Clyde Hill City Council has a history of passing significant legislation when many residents are out of town. Many will remember that back in 2022, the council voted to put the ill-fated Proposition 1 measure on the ballot during the same period which would have eliminated residents’ right to vote for their mayor. By the time people return from their vacations, the opportunity for public input has passed.
The clear winners in this scenario are Mayor Steve Friedman, Dean Hachamovitch, and Lisa Slivka, who have consolidated more power in the City Council. The real losers are Clyde Hill residents, who now have less opportunity to influence decisions and provide input to crucial land use decisions that can impact their community and properties. As residents of Clyde Hill, we should all be deeply concerned about the direction our city government is taking. The events of this summer serve as a stark reminder that staying informed and engaged is more important than ever. The Clyde Hill Coalition will continue to monitor this situation closely and will keep you updated on any further developments.
In the meantime, we do not want you to take our word for it. Watch what the councilmembers said – and did – in their own words:
And you can watch the full Council meeting here.