Just when it seemed like momentum had stalled on legislation focused on advancing the life-saving retrofits for unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings, #FixtheBricks found new footing—this time in the state operating budget. The Fix the Bricks campaign is a public safety and policy advocacy effort focused on making URM buildings safer before the next earthquake. A major focus of the campaign, over… [ Keep reading ]
The City of Seattle is in the process of updating Seattle’s Stormwater Code and Stormwater Manual as required by the Washington State Department of Ecology. The proposed legislation for the 2026 Stormwater Code is available at the Council Bill 121190 website under the “Text” tab. Upcoming Meeting Dates The Council… [ Keep reading ]
On March 26, SDCI’s pre-submittal conference and paid coaching applications moved to the Seattle Services Portal. Customers can now apply for these services by: For more information, read How to Submit a Pre-submittal Conference or Paid Coaching Application, or email us.
In the next couple of months, some existing charges will be shifted to your side sewer permit. These charges include core tap and drainage system development charges (SDCs). Core Tap Charges: Starting April 13, 2026, core taps into drainage and wastewater mains will be included on the side sewer permit… [ Keep reading ]
The City of Seattle is in the process of updating Seattle’s Stormwater Code and Stormwater Manual as required by the Washington State Department of Ecology. The joint SDCI/SPU Draft Directors’ Rule (the Stormwater Manual) will be released for final public comment the week of March 16, 2026, and will be… [ Keep reading ]
On February 28, 2001, the Nisqually earthquake shook the Puget Sound region to its core. Twenty-five years later, on February 26, 2026, experts in seismology, emergency management, structural engineering, and public policy revisited that moment — grounding the conversation in lived experience while challenging nearly 100 attendees to rethink how… [ Keep reading ]
The Seattle City Council’s Land Use and Sustainability Committee will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, March 4, at 9:30 AM, about Council Bill (CB) 121152. The meeting will be held at: Seattle City HallCity Council Chambers, 2nd floor600 4th AvenueSeattle, WA 98104 The CB would: In February of 2020,… [ Keep reading ]
The City of Seattle recently adopted ordinances 127375 and 127376 to boost housing supply and options in Seattle’s residential zones. Much of Seattle is zoned as Neighborhood Residential (NR), where most of the changes in the ordinances apply. This zone is characterized by moderate density housing that includes: Other residential… [ Keep reading ]
On February 18, 2026, Mayor Katie Wilson signed two Ordinances (Council Bill 121093 and Council Bill 121135) updating the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) review requirements. The changes will take effect March 20. This simplifies permits by eliminating most SEPA reviews citywide for new housing. This should shorten the permitting… [ Keep reading ]
