Mayor Edward Murray is seeking candidates for three vacant positions on Seattle’s Construction Codes Advisory Board. The current open positions are for representatives of the following professions or categories: Electrical Contractors; Developers or Contractors of Residential Properties; General Public.
Archives for September 2014
Superior Court Decision on Micro-Housing
In a project-specific Superior Court decision issued August 13, 2014, a judge ruled that individual bedrooms having private bathrooms and food preparation areas within them were configured for use as separate dwelling units, and must be regulated accordingly. In light of the court’s reasoning, the Department of Planning and Development (DPD) has re-examined other similar projects currently under review. DPD has concluded that the individual rooms within any proposed development having an identical or substantially similar arrangement also must be regulated as separate dwelling units. Environmental (SEPA) and Design Review thresholds will be calculated based on the number of rooms so configured.
Pedestrian Retail Areas Comment Period and Project Update
We have updated our preliminary staff recommendations for proposed pedestrian retail areas. We have also published notice of a Determination of Non-Significance (DNS) on the proposed changes, as a part of the required State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) review. A DNS means that we don’t think there will be any negative environmental impacts caused by our proposal. The official SEPA comment period runs from September 18 through October 2 of 2014.
Can Seattle Add More Housing Units and Jobs?
State and regional agencies estimate that Seattle will add 70,000 housing units (120,000 people) and 115,000 jobs between now and 2035 – an increase of 20% population and 23% in jobs. In response, the City is updating Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan to shape that growth in a way that builds on our strengths and character as a city. The City uses a variety of data to study trends and evaluate policies to plan for future growth as part of the update process.
Seattle Hazard Mitigation Plan Comment Period
The City wants to hear from you about how they are planning to mitigate hazards! The draft update to the Seattle All-Hazards Mitigation Plan is available for public review. This plan will serve as a ‘blue print’ and help guide future mitigation planning in the city. Your feedback is critical to ensuring that the updated plan reflects the needs and priorities of those who work, live, and play in Seattle.
Come Join Us at the Central Area Block Party
The City of Seattle will be partnering with the community to host the Central Area Block Party on Saturday, September 27 at the corner of 23rd Avenue and Cherry Street (2323 E. Cherry Street) from 10:00am to 6:00pm. You won’t want to miss out on a great time with your neighbors enjoying live music, food trucks, art activities and more.
In addition to the other fun activities, this block party is an opportunity for the Central Area to learn about and provide feedback on the 23rd Ave Action Plan (Union-Cherry-Jackson), the urban design framework and possible zoning changes in these key community nodes.
DPD at the 2014 Seattle Design Festival
The Seattle Design Festival (SDF) brings together citizens, city leaders, and designers through workshops, tours, talks, films and gatherings to exchange ideas. This year, SDF’s theme “Design in Motion” focuses the spotlight on how design impacts movement and change. The festival starts with a kickoff event on Friday, September 5 and goes on until September 19.
Join DPD at the Central Area Block Party
On September 27, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., the corner of 23rd and Cherry will be transformed into the Central Area Block Party for the entire community. You won’t want to miss out on a great time with your neighbors enjoying live music, food trucks, art activities, and more.
Proposed Permanent Micro-Housing Regulations
On September 2 the City Council introduced new legislation (Council Bill 118201) to clarify permanent regulation of micro-housing, congregate residences, and similar forms of development. The City Council’s proposal reflects input from three stakeholder working group meetings held during the summer of 2014. After the new regulations are voted on by Council, all future developments will have to meet the new rules.
Unreinforced Masonry Retrofit Policy Development Update
DPD continues to evaluate the policy and program development for a mandatory unreinforced masonry (URM) seismic retrofit program. The URM Policy Committee has asked DPD to validate the inventory list of URMs that we identified before they make further policy recommendations.