Good morning, and welcome to the first Issaquah Dispatch. Five minutes on what moved in Issaquah this week, one item for your own neighborhood, the market in three numbers, and one practical thing for the house.
Issaquah this week
Council takes up a 0.01% sales tax tonight, and the rate you pay at the register stays the same. A special meeting at 6:30 PM Monday, October 12, in Council Chambers, 135 E. Sunset Way, considers an ordinance for children's and family services. King County adopted the full 0.01% countywide on October 6; if the city adopts its own, the money raised in Issaquah goes to the city instead, an estimated $250,000 in 2027, and the combined rate does not change. That is one cent on a $100 purchase, from January 1, 2027. Agenda bill
A $32 million water treatment plant goes to committee Tuesday, on the RV park's land. The Mobility & Infrastructure Committee meets at 6:30 PM on October 13 for an update on a central plant at the city-owned parcel at 650 1st Avenue NE, next to the Public Works campus. Building it means closing the Issaquah Village RV Park that leases the site. The plant would put the city's own wells back to work and cut purchased water from 50% of supply to 17%; startup is planned for 2034. Staff report
NW Sammamish Road stays fully closed west of Lake Sammamish State Park until mid-November. WSDOT closed it October 5 for about six weeks to move utilities for a fish-passage project. The detour is West Lake Sammamish Parkway SE and I-90; homes inside the closure keep local access, and the state park stays open. In early 2027 the road closes again, about four months, for a new bridge over Schneider Creek. WSDOT · City of Issaquah
The 2027–28 city budget: two chances left to weigh in. Public comment at the Committee of the Whole on Monday, October 26, at 6:30 PM, and a final public hearing Monday, November 2, at 7 PM, the same night as the 2027 property tax levy hearing. Adoption is expected November 16. City budget page
Green Issaquah Day, Saturday, October 17. Volunteers plant native trees and shrubs along the Rainier Trail at Confluence Park, 595 Rainier Boulevard N, and at Park Pointe, both 9 AM to noon; registration is required. At 1 PM the city's urban forest supervisor runs Planting and Tree Care 101 at Confluence Park, tools provided. City calendar · Tree Care 101
Your neighborhood
Central Issaquah. An eight-story building with about 206 apartments and 244 parking stalls is proposed at 1550 Newport Way NW. The city holds a community meeting, in person or online, Tuesday, October 13, 6 to 6:50 PM; check the event page for the room. City notice · Event page Sold near you: 4 homes closed within 0.8 mile of the neighborhood center in the last 45 days, median $851K (range $553K to $1.34M); the fastest went from listing to closing in 21 days.
Issaquah Highlands. PSE's planned Grand Ridge substation, on Park Drive near the Vista community gardens, gets its Development Commission public hearing Wednesday, October 21, at 6:30 PM in Council Chambers, moved from October 7. PSE plans underground distribution lines. Hearing · Project page Sold near you: 13 homes closed within 0.8 mile of the neighborhood center in the last 45 days, median $1.46M (range $396K to $3.92M); the fastest went from listing to closing in 20 days.
Issaquah Valley. The Newport Way NW redesign between NW Maple Street and W Sunset Way, with roundabouts at NW Juniper, NW Holly and NW Dogwood Streets, is in environmental review and permitting through 2027; property purchases begin in 2028 and construction waits on funding. (evergreen) Gibson Park, 105 Newport Way SW, is three acres across from the hatchery. Project page · Gibson Park Sold near you: 8 homes closed within 0.8 mile of the neighborhood center in the last 45 days, median $513K (range $310K to $1.34M); the fastest went from listing to closing in 19 days.
Montreux. WSDOT's fish-passage work brings traffic shifts on westbound I-90 near the Lakemont Boulevard and 17th Avenue NW interchanges, with overnight lane reductions. For the NW Sammamish Road closure, the detour runs West Lake Sammamish Parkway SE. WSDOT Sold near you: 6 homes closed within 0.8 mile of the neighborhood center in the last 45 days, median $1.65M (range $300K to $4.25M); the fastest went from listing to closing in 39 days.
Newport. Newport Way NW from SR 900 to NW Oakcrest Drive reaches final design for Phase 1 this month. The city replaces the water main and adds a sewer line in early 2027, ahead of road and trail construction starting fall 2027. Community meeting: Tuesday, November 17, 6 PM, Tibbetts Creek Manor. Project page Down the road in Tibbetts Creek Valley: the Environmental Board discusses a stormwater code update Wednesday, October 14, 6:30 PM, at Tibbetts Creek Manor, 750 17th Avenue NW. Next door, 30-acre Tibbetts Valley Park is the subject of a city project, started this year, to re-plan it. Agenda · Park re-visioning Sold near you: 1 home closed within 0.8 mile of the neighborhood center in the last 45 days, median $1.44M; the fastest went from listing to closing in 49 days.
North Issaquah. The water treatment plant in Tuesday's committee item would rise at 650 1st Avenue NE, now the Issaquah Village RV Park. The schedule: a funding plan and design contract in 2027, construction 2031 to 2033. Staff report Sold near you: 10 homes closed within 0.8 mile of the neighborhood center in the last 45 days, median $757K (range $456K to $2.37M); the fastest went from listing to closing in 20 days.
Olde Town. The Darigold mural, first painted in 1995, is being restored by original artist Evan Jones with Claire Waterhouse. About 40% is done and sealed; the rest waits for May 2027 because of the weather. The Front Street and 2nd Avenue lift-station upgrade is due to finish in November. Mural · Lift station Sold near you: 8 homes closed within 0.8 mile of the neighborhood center in the last 45 days, median $513K (range $310K to $1.62M); the fastest went from listing to closing in 48 days.
Providence Point. Lake Sammamish State Park warns of extra congestion at its entrances through late November because of the NW Sammamish Road closure. Inside the park, the Issaquah Creek and Tibbetts Creek bridges have been closed since March for erosion, with no repair date, and the Homestead Trail is closed. Washington State Parks Sold near you: 8 homes closed within 0.8 mile of the neighborhood center in the last 45 days, median $425K (range $280K to $760K); the fastest went from listing to closing in 35 days.
South Lake Sammamish. NW Sammamish Road is closed west of the state park until mid-November; homes inside the closure keep local access. Coming up: a volunteer planting party at Timberlake Park, about 24 forested acres with a half-mile trail to the beach, Sunday, November 15, 9 AM to noon. Park on 185th Avenue SE; 184th is private. City alert · Timberlake Park Sold near you: 6 homes closed within 0.8 mile of the neighborhood center in the last 45 days, median $1.65M (range $300K to $4.25M); the fastest went from listing to closing in 39 days.
Squak Mountain. Storm pipes in the Wildwood area have reached the end of their service life and are due for replacement starting this fall, finishing spring 2027; the city will contact affected residents before work begins. City of Issaquah Sold near you: 8 homes closed within 0.8 mile of the neighborhood center in the last 45 days, median $513K (range $310K to $1.59M); the fastest went from listing to closing in 19 days.
Sycamore. (evergreen) Squak Valley Park, 10319 Issaquah-Hobart Road SE, is 12.5 acres on Issaquah Creek at the city's south edge, with three soccer fields and a play structure. The city is designing a salmon-habitat restoration on the park's west side for summer 2029; the open grass field stays in use. Park page · Restoration Sold near you: 2 homes closed within 0.8 mile of the neighborhood center in the last 45 days, median $773K; the fastest went from listing to closing in 48 days.
Talus. Construction on the Talus 9 development began in June, with completion expected in early 2029. (evergreen) Harvey Manning Park at Talus, 919 Bear Ridge Court NW, is about 10 acres at the neighborhood's south edge with a playground, a basketball court and a trailhead; there is no sign on the road. Talus 9 · Harvey Manning Park Sold near you: 6 homes closed within 0.8 mile of the neighborhood center in the last 45 days, median $1.03M (range $533K to $2.32M); the fastest went from listing to closing in 19 days.
The market in 60 seconds
Across Issaquah ZIPs 98027 and 98029, the median home sold for $1.03M over the last 30 days (52 closings; single-family alone $1.215M). The median home took 57 days from listing to closing, and there are 5.0 months of inventory on the market.
That is balanced territory, toward the buyer's side: under three months favors sellers, above six favors buyers. Even so, 17% of homes closed above asking, so the right house still draws a crowd. Both ZIPs also take in areas outside the city limits.
One useful thing: November 2, not October 31
The second half of 2026 King County property tax is due Monday, November 2. The usual date is October 31; when it falls on a weekend, the deadline moves to the next business day. Mail a check postmarked by the due date to King County Treasury, 201 S. Jackson St., Suite 710, Seattle, WA 98104, or pay online (a service fee applies). Questions: 206-263-2890. King County Treasury · FAQ
That's the week. Reply with anything you want tracked in Issaquah, and if a neighbor would read it, forward it. They can subscribe at issaquahdispatch.com. From here the Dispatch arrives Thursdays at 6 AM; next up: what council decided on the sales tax and the water plant, and the Grand Ridge substation hearing.
The Issaquah Dispatch is a RexMont Real Estate publication. Adriano Tori, Designated Broker. Reply to this email and a person reads it.