You do not need a specific reason to make a request. Simply submit your request for relocation to DPD’s director at this address:

Diane Sugimura, Director
Department of Planning and Development
P.O. Box 34019
Seattle, Washington 98124-4019 

For your request to be considered, there are a few rules that apply:

• the sign must be located within the city of Seattle
• the sign and sign structure must be installed where an advertising sign is permitted by the code that governs billboards
• your application must be post marked by March 1

If you are unsure whether a billboard meets the relocation qualifications, you may either 1) submit your application and let DPD review the eligibility of your request or 2) contact Kent Hunnicutt, Senior Sign Inspector, at (206) 684-8419 for more information.

All requests for relocation are processed and considered by the owner of the advertising sign. The relocation request process is voluntary and the owner of the billboard has the right to decline the request.

In response to these tragedies, new state-wide codes will require CO alarms in most residential buildings, including single-family homes. These rules are being implemented in stages:

• Right Now: CO alarms are already required for all new hotels, apartments, condos and houses (R-1, R-2 & R-3) if they have attached garages or fuel-fired heat sources (such as gas furnaces or gas water heaters).
• April 1 – All New Houses and Apartments: Permits filed beginning April 1, 2012 for new apartments, condos and houses will require CO alarms even for buildings that don’t have attached garages or fuel-fired heat sources. This is because far more poisoning cases result from improvised cooking and heating during power outages than from malfunctioning furnaces or idling cars.
• January 1, 2013 – Existing Apartments and Rental Houses: State law requires all covered residential units to have CO detectors installed by January 1, 2013, just 11 months from now. Permit applications for alterations to existing single-family and multi-family dwellings must demonstrate that the CO detectors are already in place or include them as part of the project. (This requirement is not triggered by exterior finish work, plumbing, or non-combustion mechanical equipment.)
• Owner-Occupied Single-Family Houses: Existing single-family homes that are owner-occupied are exempt from the January 1, 2013 deadline, but they are still required to include CO alarms in any building permit application for interior alterations. When the house is sold, state law also requires that CO alarms be installed before the new owner takes occupancy.
• Hotels, Dorms and Institutions: Sleeping rooms in hotels, motels, dormitories, DSHS-licensed boarding homes and residential treatment facilities do not require CO alarms if the sleeping rooms are properly isolated from any fireplace, fuel-burning appliance or attached garage, and if there are CO alarms in the building’s common areas. (If these units contain or are connected in some manner to fireplaces, fuel-burning appliances (gas furnace, water heater, range) or attached garages, this exception would not apply.)

How to Comply

Simply install the CO alarms in the area right outside of each bedroom, with at least one alarm on each floor of the dwelling. They cost $30 to $50 at local hardware stores, and you can choose a model that runs entirely on batteries or a plug-in model with battery backup. Combination smoke alarm/CO alarm units are also available.

These new code provisions were developed with input from medical professionals, building operators, engineers and other experts to effectively prevent carbon monoxide poisonings while minimizing cost and disruption to owners and tenants. As more and more homes and apartments are fitted with CO alarms, the frequency of carbon monoxide poisonings in our community should decrease dramatically.

Read the full text of the state law at: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=19.27.530

Read the Proposed Rule Making at: https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/apps/sbcc/File.ashx?cid=1528

Questions? Submit your questions to DPD’s Online Q&A Service: http://web1.seattle.gov/dpd/LUQnA/?Type=2

Duane Jonlin
Energy Code & Energy Conservation Advisor
duane.jonlin@seattle.gov

CPW gives homeowners access to approved experts in home energy auditing and contracting to help them make the smartest choices for their homes. CPW also provides financing, rebates and incentives to help offset project costs, as well as a free quality assurance inspection once the work is complete.

Joshua Curtis, manager for the program, recently told us, “We are really inspired by the reactions of our current customers and the momentum building for the program. It’s great to see how energy upgrades align with peoples’ values, and so positively impact the quality of their lives. It’s exciting to now be able to offer the program to all of Seattle’s homeowners.”

Currently, homeowners can choose from 15 CPW partner contractors, all of whom are passionate about building science. Each of CPW’s energy experts focuses on finding the best energy efficiency solutions for homes and homeowners to improve their health and comfort, and to help reduce Seattle’s overall carbon footprint. And the pool of experts is expanding to meet demand. Several new partners are expected to join the ranks by late spring 2012.

Most inspiring are the stories from homeowners who have experienced improvements in their lives as a result of their energy upgrades as well as some unexpected benefits. The program begins with a comprehensive energy audit, helping homeowners learn more about their home. Allyson Adley of Madison Park said, “When we learned that 86 percent of the warm air in our house was escaping each hour and being replaced with cold air from outside, we were shocked. That provided us with the motivation to act.”

Along with insulating and sealing cracks where heat was escaping, the Adleys installed a heat pump to replace an inefficient oil burner. Adley said, “I cannot get over how much value we’ve added to the house with the CPW upgrade. We feel good that we are not buying oil any more, and it’s a relief not to have to open that bill. In addition to making the house more comfortable,” she added, “the weatherization work had the extra benefit of keeping critters out of our attic and crawl space.”

One customer on Beacon Hill said, “This is the kind of work that I can’t do myself right now. Having professionals available to do the work at a price that makes sense really fit my needs. The program worked out perfectly for me.” For him, the upgrade had the added benefit of decreasing the impact of living under a heavy flight path. “The new insulation in the attic has really helped to muffle the sound, even before we put in the new windows,” he said.

The CPW program is geared up to serve homeowners from all Seattle neighborhoods in 2012. “We are looking forward to a great year serving people throughout the Seattle community, increasing the quality of their home-lives, saving energy, and putting people to work at the same time,” said Curtis.

To sign up for the program, click here: https://my.communitypowerworks.org/apply/.

For more information, contact (206) 449-1170 or home@communitypowerworks.org.

*IP: Initial Plan Review by DPD staff

The first meeting of the URM Policy Committee is planned for the end of February 2012. DPD is planning eight monthly meetings to give the committee members time to explore the policy issues. Meetings will be open to the public and facilitated by an independent consultant. You can follow the progress of the committee on DPD’s Emergency Management URM pages on the DPD website (www.seattle.gov/dpd/emergency/unreinforcedmasonrybuildings/default.asp). Information about the upcoming meetings, committee agendas, minutes, reports and other information will be posted there. Alternatively, you can receive notices of information about unreinforced masonry buildings by subscribing to our list serve, available through the URM website.

Sandy Howard
(206) 233-7194
sandy.howard@seattle.gov

Throughout 2012, DPD will host informal discussion sessions to share Seattle’s approach to high performance code development, highlight concepts being considered for the upcoming code cycle, and to hear your questions, ideas, and feedback. Our first session will be held on Thursday, February 9th, where an overview of the broader list of green standards and tools such as the ICC-700 or ASHRAE 189.1 will be provided. We’ll also discuss some of the climate protection priorities set by Mayor and Council which help to provide guidance to DPD’s code development process.

Meeting details:

Thursday, February 9th
2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Room 4086, Seattle Municipal Tower
700 5th Avenue, Seattle

For more information, contact:

Kathleen Petrie
(206) 615-0541
kathleen.petrie@seattle.gov

UPDATED

• CAM 123, Seattle’s Tenant Relocation Assistance Ordinance, was updated to correct the assistance amount paid by the owner.

The zoning changes allow additional height (up to 85 feet) on certain blocks. The changes also ensure more landscaping and a more pedestrian-friendly streetscape environment.

Located at the western end of the West Seattle Bridge, the West Seattle Triangle serves as a gateway to West Seattle and the Alaska Junction shopping district. In 2007, the Huling Brothers car dealership closed, leaving behind several acres of vacant lots and buildings. Since then, King County and the City of Seattle have been making plans for new RapidRide bus service. RapidRide Line “C” will begin service in 2012 with two stations in the Triangle planning area. 

In addition to the recent legislation, DPD has developed a streetscape concept plan that includes provisions for new green streets and public spaces, along with access for trucks, cars, bicycles and pedestrians. The concept plan will be appended to the City’s Right-of-Way Improvements Manual early next year by the directors of DPD and Seattle Department of Transportation.

“This is a good example of City and community planning together to integrate transportation and land use,” said Diane Sugimura, DPD Director. “The effort will benefit the neighborhood in very tangible ways as the area evolves in the coming years.”

For more information about the legislation passed by City Council, read their press release (www.seattle.gov/council/newsdetail.asp?id=12379&dept=28).

Background information about the West Seattle Triangle project is available on DPD’s website at www.seattle.gov/dpd/Planning/WestSeattleTriangle/
Overview/default.asp.

Originally created to increase developer knowledge and adoption of green building practices, with an emphasis on education, City Green Building’s purpose has evolved over the years to include broader, more interdepartmental strategic policy development for sustainable issues, along with a focus on development services that promote green building through the code and permitting processes. City Green Building is now moving on to our next iteration to better align our work with that of our colleagues working on environmental policy, sustainable communities and development services.

Four members of the team – Sandra, Rebecca, Peter and Jayson – will be merging with the Office of Sustainability and Environment (OSE) where they will consolidate City Green Building’s efforts on strategic policy development for sustainable building practices with OSE’s broader environmental policy initiatives, thereby strengthening the City’s ability to guide a unified approach to these issues. Three others – Sandy, Jess and Kathleen – will work directly with the Operations Division in DPD. There they will continue work to promote green permitting and green code development. And staff focused on Sustainable Communities and Low Impact Development – Brennon and Dave – will maintain integral roles in the Planning Division to further sustainable communities and infrastructure.

The work of the green building team is an ongoing effort and initiatives will continue in the coming years. At OSE, work over the coming year will include Energy Benchmarking, District Energy, the 2030 District, implementation of the Sustainable Buildings & Sites Policy, and development of a Resource Conservation Management Plan for City facilities. In DPD, Priority Green will continue to grow as we see more projects taking advantage of the program, as will the evaluation of the International Green Construction Code as a potential tool for Seattle. 

Staff will continue to collaborate on all green building efforts but will be better aligned and positioned internally to draw upon appropriate expertise. Regardless of departmental affiliations green building will continue to be an interdepartmental effort and a priority for the City.

Questions?

Sandra Mallory
Green Building Manager
Office of Sustainability & Environment
sandra.mallory@seattle.gov

Green building information and resources will continue to be available at: www.seattle.gov/greenbuilding.

Priority Green permitting information can be found at: www.seattle.gov/dpd/PriorityGreen.

On December 8, DPD planners shared three draft urban design concepts with the public. The concepts were developed following a late July open house. The three concepts illustrate a range of ideas for the evolution of a denser neighborhood district in the vicinity of the Northgate transit center, including different arrangements of open space and future development near the light rail station. These concepts are described as “Creek Street,” “Station Place,” and “Park Place.” Ideas range from encouraging infill development to create a dense residential community with more open space, to a greater mix of office, retail and residential uses. None of the concepts are described as “preferred” at this time. DPD will continue to coordinate with King County and Sound Transit in 2012 to discuss possibilities as these agencies work on their transit programs and construction plans. Meanwhile, DPD will prepare a summary report on these design concepts, to be available in January or February 2012.

The latest information on this study is available at DPD’s website for this study at www.seattle.gov/dpd/Planning/NorthgateStationAreaDevelopment/
Overview/default.asp. It includes links to the presentation on the three design concepts and related boards presented at the open house on December 8. If you have additional questions or comments, please contact:

Gordon Clowers
DPD Project Manager
(206) 684-8375
gordon.clowers@seattle.gov