To respond to the Council request and implement related policies in the Seattle Comprehensive Plan, the Department is proposing a program for registering and inspecting rental housing. Program elements would include: (1) registering most rental housing and inspecting properties on a randomly-selected basis; (2) inspecting properties with a history of code violations; (3) engaging in significant outreach and education effort for tenants, landlords and property managers to promote knowledge of the City rental housing regulations, including the proposed registration requirement and standards for maintaining rental properties; (4) engaging in outreach to other organizations and public agencies to identify poorly-maintained rental housing; (5) and providing relocation assistance to mitigate negative impacts on displaced tenants. The report can be read here www.seattle.gov/dpd/Compliance/RentalHousing/Overview/default.asp.

With the advent of warmer weather, more Seattle residents are trying out chicken keeping and the number of chicken-related complaints is rising. This has resulted in some new challenges for DPD code enforcement staff. DPD regulates provisions in the Land Use Code relating to chickens—that is, number of chickens, location of coops, and the presence of roosters. But, complaints about crowing roosters are not as straightforward as they seem. It is not always obvious what is the gender of the fowl that we observe—in fact, there are some breeds of chicken that outwardly appear to be roosters, crowing and all, but lay eggs and are in fact hens. If the only enforcement issue is animal noise such as crowing, the DPD inspector has no basis to undertake enforcement action—the appropriate agency to respond to complaints about animal noise is the City’s Animal Control unit. In addition, if a rooster has been in residence since before the enactment of the new code provisions—if the owner can prove it, which can be challenging—DPD will not require him to be removed.

As for the location of coops, in addition to being ten feet away from residences, they are subject to other rules about structures in yards. In most cases, such structures are not permitted in front yards, for example. In tight urban spaces, it can be challenging for an owner to find a space for the coop and chicken run that is big enough for the chickens’ needs and sturdy enough to protect them from predators but still meets code requirements.

Chicken odors and other maintenance issues also have been the subject of complaints, but these also are not handled by DPD. Odors created by chicken manure should be reported to Animal Control, as should other issues of sanitation or inadequate maintenance of chicken areas which may affect the wellbeing of the animals. Conditions creating a public health issue such as the presence of rats should be reported to Seattle – King County Public Health.

If your neighbor has more than eight chickens, has a rooster, or has built a chicken coop too close to your house, you may file a complaint with DPD by calling (206) 615-0808 or placing a complaint on line at http://web1.seattle.gov/dpd/complaintform/. For complaints about animal noise or inadequate animal maintenance, contact Animal Control at www.seattle.gov/animalshelter/contact.htm. Information about rats and rat control is available from Public Health at www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/ehs/rats.aspx.

To Those Interested in Columbia City Cinema:

The Department of Planning and Development (DPD) and Fire Department have been working with the Columbia City Cinema for almost a year to try and resolve safety issues, in an effort to retain this important community facility and to ensure the safety of the public. We are disappointed that the operator has chosen to shut down the Cinema rather than address these safety concerns.  

The Columbia City Cinema has been in operation for several years, but unfortunately it has done so illegally. A permit for a movie theater was never obtained for this building, and installation of required safety improvements was never completed. The most critical concerns are providing safe exits for patrons and providing sprinklers. City staff confirmed with the owner that there were issues with both exiting and sprinklers when this issue was first brought to our attention. Over the last 12 months, the City has reached out and convened several meetings with the owner to help work on these issues while temporarily allowing the business to remain open at a reduced capacity.  

There are several features of this building that make these upgrades particularly important. The cinema is housed within an old building which was originally used as a Masonic Lodge. This is a rare cinema in that it contains a large theater on an upper level of a building constructed of wood. Most older theaters are one floor only, and were built as theaters many years ago. When a new business such as a cinema occupies a structure like this, it requires a permit to install additional safety upgrades so that that the customers and families are able to safely exit the building during a fire. Sprinklers or increased fire-resistive construction have been required for a building of this type (containing an upper-level movie theater) since the 1940’s. Had the owner consulted with the City before occupying this space, we would have identified these issues in advance so that these safety upgrades would have been considered by the business owner.

The City has been committed to working with the owner of Columbia City Cinema on complying with the current code. The Fire Department, in consultation with DPD, agreed to grant temporary assembly permits for the cinema while progress was made towards obtaining a permit and completing the safety upgrades. However, it’s been 12 months since this issue was identified. The construction permit has not been obtained and it has become increasingly clear that the owner does not have a feasible plan to make the required safety upgrades to this building.

We had also informed the owner that he had a different option – sprinklers would not be required if capacity were reduced and only the lower screen was used. That remains an option for the owner.

The City recognizes the importance of this local institution, but we would be doing a disservice to the community if we allow the cinema to continue to operate in its current configuration without considering the safety of the public. Many business owners across the City have complied with these requirements, and it would not be fair to them to exempt other businesses from the same rules. We remain supportive of the Cinema and appreciate its value to the community, and urge the owner to address the public safety issues we have identified.

Sincerely,

Assistant Chief John Nelsen
Fire Marshal

Diane M. Sugimura, Director
Department of Planning and Development

• Replacing multiple (internal) “Individual Review” Target Dates with a single “Review Cycle” Target Date (located under the Reviews tab)
• Under the Review tab –
  • Highlighting incomplete reviews to help users find outstanding work
  • Adding a link to correction letters resulting from completed reviews
  • Adding Application Status so a customer will know when their permit is “In Progress,” “Issue Prep,” and “Issue Ready”
• Fees and Receipts tab –
  • Providing more clarification that fees may change based on reviews/corrections
• Land Use tab
  • Adding an email link during the comment period, so users can send comments to the Public Resource Center (PRC)
  • Adding Permit Remarks for Demolition and Site Active Permits

To check out the latest additions to the Permit & Complaint Status tool, please visit: http://web1.seattle.gov/DPD/permitstatus. If you have comments or suggestions, contact us at webteam@seattle.gov.

The proposed regulations would consolidate code provisions concerning all aspects of maintenance of vacant building sites into the Housing and Building Maintenance Code, so that enforcement of maintenance requirements would be addressed by a single enforcement document. Sites with poorly maintained vacant buildings tend to have issues with junk and vehicle storage and vegetation overgrowth as well. Under the current code scheme these other violations are addressed in separate enforcement processes, so that a vacant building site may generate several different enforcement documents, each with different deadlines, penalties, and appeal mechanisms. The code changes will streamline and simplify the process, aiding both enforcement staff and property owners responsible for vacant buildings.

In addition, the proposed code changes would change certain Housing and Building Maintenance Code minimum standards for light and ventilation, heating, minimum fire and safety standards, duties for owners, and standards for vacant buildings, so that these standards match minimum requirements in the Seattle Residential Code.

The City Council’s Committee on the Built Environment will hold a public hearing to take comments on the proposal on February 23, 2011 at 9:30 a.m. The hearing will be held in Council Chambers, 2nd floor, Seattle City Hall, 600 Fourth Avenue. Questions concerning the public hearing may be directed to Michael Jenkins, Council Central Staff, (206) 615-1674 or michael.jenkins@seattle.gov or to David Yeaworth, (206) 684-8802 or david.yeaworth@seattle.gov. Questions regarding the proposal or requests for electronic copies may be directed to Diane Davis at (206) 233-7873, dianec.davis@seattle.gov. Additional information, including the Director’s Report and the Ordinance, is available on DPD’s website at http://buildingconnections.seattle.gov/2011/01/19/dpd-proposes-amendments-to-vacant-building-enforcement/.

The proposed regulations would consolidate code provisions concerning maintenance of vacant building sites by moving code enforcement provisions concerning the storage of junk in residential zones, or vehicles in single family zones from the Land Use Code to the Housing and Building Maintenance Code, when these actions occur on lots with vacant structures. In addition, the proposed code changes would change certain Housing and Building Maintenance Code minimum standards for light and ventilation, heating, minimum fire and safety standards, duties for owners, and standards for vacant buildings, so that these standards match minimum requirements in the Seattle Residential Code, Seattle Municipal Code Chapter 22.150.

PUBLIC HEARING
The City Council’s Committee on the Built Environment will hold a public hearing to take comments on the proposal on February 23, 2011 at 9:30am. The hearing will be held in Council Chambers, 2nd floor, Seattle City Hall, 600 Fourth Avenue. The entrances to City Hall are located on the west side of Fifth Avenue, and the east side of Fourth Avenue, between James and Cherry Streets. For those who wish to testify, a sign-up sheet will be available outside the Council Chamber at 9:00 am.

Questions concerning the public hearing may be directed to Michael Jenkins, Council Central Staff, by calling (206) 615-1674 via e-mail at: michael.jenkins@seattle.gov or David Yeaworth, by calling (206) 684-8802 or via email at: david.yeaworth@seattle.gov.

Print and communications access is provided on prior request. Please contact David Yeaworth at (206) 684-8802 as soon as possible to request accommodations for a disability.

WRITTEN COMMENTS
For those unable to attend the public hearing, comments will be accepted through 5:00 pm on February 22, 2011. Please send comments to:

Councilmember Sally Clark
Legislative Department
600 Fourth Avenue Floor 2
PO Box 34025
Seattle, WA 98124-4025

INFORMATION AVAILABLE
View the Director’s Report and the Ordinance online. Copies are also available at the DPD Public Resource Center, 700 5th Avenue, Suite 2000 in the Seattle Municipal Tower, (206) 684-8467. The Public Resource Center is open 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and 10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday.

A copy of the legislation, Council Bill 117048, can also be found on the City Clerk’s website.

Questions regarding the proposal or requests for electronic copies may be directed to Diane Davis at (206) 233-7873.

The City of Seattle desires effective means to address problem rental housing units and improve rental housing conditions for Seattle residents. While the City recognizes that the great majority of housing units in the city meet basic standards of habitability, we know that there are some units that clearly do not. The City currently has a complaint-based system; potential violations are reported to the department, we then inspect, and if violations are found, action is taken to gain compliance. This program will continue. However, not all and perhaps some of the most egregious are never reported due to lack of concern about the condition, lack of knowledge of basic code standards, fear of retaliation, or lack of familiarity with the system. In June 2010, the Seattle City Council adopted Ordinance 123311. The ordinance establishes a testing and registration program for rental housing inspectors to begin in October 2011 and a licensing program for rental housing businesses to begin in April 2012.

Along with the ordinance, the Seattle City Council adopted Resolution 31221. That resolution calls for DPD to gather input from a stakeholder group and report back to Council with recommendations for implementing residential rental property registration and inspections. DPD has convened this stakeholder group and it is offering input on a number of policy questions concerning the ordinance’s requirements. DPD’s initial report is due to Council in February 2011. The stakeholder group will meet through April or May 2011.

To learn more about the program and to subscribe to receive notices of upcoming public events and updates, visit the program’s website at: www.seattle.gov/dpd/Compliance/RentalHousing/Overview/default.asp.

The conversion requirements in state law and city ordinance changed significantly in late 2008, most especially with regard to reporting and relocation assistance.  Property owners and developers, and the attorneys that represent them, should review these changes carefully prior to initiating the conversion process.

For more information, call (206) 615-0808 and ask for Property Owner and Tenant Assistance.

Phase two of the multifamily code update addresses the Lowrise zones and other issues remaining from last year.  The City Council’s Committee on the Built Environment, formerly PLUNC, identified a list of issues to be examined and a schedule in February 2010.  The issues to be addressed include:

1. Consider encouraging different types of multifamily buildings (rowhouses, cottage housing, townhouses, and apartments) in different Lowrise zones, with the possibility of combining the L1 and L2 zones and L3 and L4 zones.
2. Consider increasing the height limit from 25 feet to 30 feet in Lowrise Duplex Triplex (LDT), L1, and L2 zones, and from 30 feet to 35 or 37 feet in L3 zones, to encourage better design and more livable units.
3. Determine appropriate Floor Area Ratio (FAR) limits. Consider whether the FAR exemptions approved by the Council last year for Midrise and Highrise zones should be applied in Lowrise zones, and whether FAR controls should replace density limits in LDT, L1, and L2 zones.

The committee schedule is working toward an anticipated vote in July or August.  For more information on Council’s review and the analysis of the issues identified, please see their website: http://seattle.gov/council/clark/2009townhomes.htm.

Information is also available on DPD’s website at:  www.seattle.gov/dpd/planning/multifamily/.