Beginning Dec. 4, 2009, backyard cottages will be allowed citywide.  Since 2006 backyard cottages, also known as detached accessory dwelling units or DADUs, have been permitted in southeast Seattle.  There has been a tremendous amount of interest in backyard cottages for many reasons.  For seniors, a backyard cottage offers a way to  [More]

Join former Mayor Norm Rice for the kick-off of a major update of Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan – “Seattle 2030 & Beyond.” Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan, adopted in 1994, sets policies and goals for a full range of elements that affect how a city will grow, including land use, transportation, housing, capital facilities, utilities, economic development, neighborhood planning, human development, cultural resources and the environment.   [More]

In an effort to continue to meet our customer service objectives and recognize the range of resources needed on any given day, DPD’s offices will be closed 10 days in 2010, rather than having partial resources available each day.   [More]

The start of the wet season has begun in Seattle and heavy rain can increase the chance of landslides due to soil saturation, which reduces slope stability. Property owners of landslide-prone sites are advised to clear drains and take other simple measures, such as: checking downspouts, to make sure they are functioning and routed to a safe location; and inspecting sloping areas of their property for indications of slope movement (such as cracks in the ground, and newly tilting trees) and erosion.   [More]

During June and July, many neighbors joined in meetings and many other hundreds participated in on line questionnaires to review the Draft Neighborhood Status Reports and comment on changes— good, bad, and unexpected —that have occurred since Seattle’s Neighborhood Plans were written in the late 90's. ... The Neighborhood Plan Advisory Committee (NPAC) and the Seattle Planning Commission want to report back to you on the trends that emerged so far and to get your help to identify the continuing priorities and new issues that should be emphasized in the final Status Reports and a State of the Neighborhood Report that will be presented to the City Council and Mayor.   [More]

Public review drafts of the 2009 editions of the Seattle Building Code, Seattle Existing Building, Seattle Mechanical Code and Seattle Fuel Gas Code will be available in mid-October or early November.  [More]

Over the last few months DPD staff has been working with neighborhood representatives to develop a proposal to rezone specific areas of industrial zoning within the Ballard Hub Urban Village (HUV) and outside the Ballard-Interbay Manufacturing and Industrial Center (BINMIC). The work stems from a Comprehensive Plan resolution adopted by Council in December 2007...  [More]

The City of Seattle announced today the start of a new expedited permitting process for highly energy efficient development projects. On September 30 the Department of Planning and Development (DPD) launched the Green Q permitting program for single family and other small residential projects.  [More]

Come help us shape the future of your neighborhood by commenting on proposed strategies to address your community's growth, transportation, and quality of life.   [More]

DPD is beginning to review the draft 2009 Seattle Mechanical Code. A committee of the Construction Codes Advisory Board (CCAB) will be formed this fall to review the draft.   [More]