Are you looking to remodel your home, but don’t know where to start or what to do? Then head out to the 18th Annual Phinney Home Design and Remodel Fair to learn from experienced and trained professionals, including representatives from DPD, about remodeling and home improvement project ideas.
Archives for December 2014
Development Fee Changes for 2015
On January 1, 2015, DPD will adjust its service fees. There are no changes to development fees this year other than the adoption by rule of the latest building valuation data (BVD) table.
Reminder: Plans Submitted for Electronic Review Must Include Space for Approval Stamp
Since DPD started the electronic plan pilot (the DPD Project Portal), we have instructed applicants to a dedicated space for approval stamps, preferably in the lower right hand corner of each plan sheet. Beginning January 5, we will reject all plan sets that do not include this dedicated space.
Recycling/Reuse Requirements for Construction and Demolition Waste
One of Seattle’s goals is to have 70 percent of all construction and demolition waste either recycled or salvaged for reuse by 2020. To achieve this goal, the following six easily recyclable materials are no longer allowed to be sent to a landfill from Seattle: asphalt paving, brick, concrete, metal, cardboard, and new gypsum scrap. This means that if any of these six materials are produced from your construction project, your options are to reuse the material, salvage it for resale, or take the material to a facility where it can be processed for recycling.
Substantial Alterations Projects for Single-Family Residences
When alterations or additions to single-family residences and duplexes are extensive enough, the Seattle Residential Code (SRC) requires updates to important life safety and structural systems. These upgrades include bedroom egress windows, exiting requirements, smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, separation between dwelling units, and seismic strengthening of the building.
Reminder: SEPA Checklist – Updated Format
Starting January 1, 2015 we will require that you submit the updated State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) checklist in order for your Master Use Permit Application to be considered a complete application. The Washington Department of Ecology updated the SEPA rules and the SEPA Environmental Checklist. They were effective May 10, 2014.
November Permit Turnaround Times
View permit turnaround times for November 2014.
Reorganizing the Seattle Mixed Zone
DPD has amended the Seattle Mixed zone (Land Use Code Chapter 23.48) several times, most recently to apply the zone in South Lake Union. Currently, provisions related to specific neighborhoods are interspersed throughout the zone’s main chapter, which has made the zone difficult to understand and use. We are proposing to reorganize the chapter into subchapters consisting of general standards that apply in all Seattle Mixed zones and neighborhood- and location-specific standards that apply unique provisions to the neighborhoods.
December Publication Updates
DPD released three draft Director’s Rules in December. The rule implementing the fee subtitle will be effective Jan 1, 2015.
West Seattle ‘Let’s Talk’ Follow-Up
Last summer, we hosted a meeting in West Seattle to provide information about development in the neighborhood and give West Seattleites an opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback. About 40 people joined 26 staff from the City’s Departments of Transportation, Planning and Development, Neighborhoods, and the Mayor’s office. You can read more about the meeting, and view the presentation materials, at The West Seattle Blog. This article summarizes what we heard about some of the major issues and identifies how you can get involved in related ongoing planning efforts.