Urban areas that collect stormwater runoff in municipal separate storm sewers (MS4s) and discharge it to surface waters must have a permit under the federal Clean Water Act. The Department of Ecology develops and administers National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) municipal stormwater permits in Washington State.

The Department of Ecology is requiring Seattle to update our current codes with additional stormwater control regulations as a condition of our NPDES permit. To meet these requirements, we are revising our existing Stormwater Code (SMC 22.800-22.808) and the associated Directors’ Rules. These new rules will replace the current drainage control code and Directors’ Rules which are administered jointly by DPD and Seattle Public Utilities.

The actual code changes are still to be determined. However, our regulations must be equivalent to Ecology’s NPDES 2012 Stormwater Manual. Our updates will address the following topics:

• Public education, outreach, and involvement
• Illicit discharge detection & elimination
• Construction site stormwater runoff control
• Pollution prevention, good housekeeping, and operation and maintenance
• Post-construction stormwater management for new development and redevelopment, including low impact development
• Monitoring
• Structural stormwater controls
• Source control

Timelines

• August 1, 2012: The Department of Ecology reissued the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Phase I Municipal permit
• August 1, 2013 through July 31, 2018: Our NPDES permit is effective
• June 2015: Our updated Stormwater Code and related Director’s Rules are scheduled to take effect

For more information, a survey, and frequently asked questions, visit our Stormwater Code website at www.seattle.gov/dpd/codes/stormwatercode/Overview/.  

You can submit comments and join the Stormwater Code listserv by sending an email to stormwatercode@seattle.gov.

We shared our preliminary recommendations for future land use at a community meeting on April 29. Over 50 people attended to learn more and let us know what they thought. Two additional briefings are scheduled for the the Ballard District Council Meeting (May 8 at 7:00 p.m.) and the Magnolia Community Club (May 9 at 7:00 p.m.). You can also provide your feedback online through the end of May.

• Read the preliminary recommendations
• Take the online survey
• Review the background information on our website, www.seattle.gov/dpd/Planning/EnvisioningInterbay/Overview/

*IP: Initial Plan Review by DPD staff

The primary purpose of the proposal is to limit the off-site impacts of larger-scale marijuana-related activity in residential and historic character areas. The ordinance would accomplish this by limiting the level of activity in business and residences in specific areas. Proposed limits would apply in all designated Historic Districts and the following zones: Single-Family, Multifamily, Pioneer Square Mixed, International District Mixed, International District Residential, Pike Place Mixed, Harborfront, and Neighborhood Commercial 1. In these restricted areas, the production, processing, selling, or delivery of marijuana, marijuana-infused products, or useable marijuana in any business establishment or dwelling unit would be limited to:

• Forty-five marijuana plants
• Seventy-two ounces of useable marijuana
• An amount of marijuana product that could reasonably be produced with 72 ounces of useable marijuana

These limits are intended to preclude commercial-scale facilities in these areas while still allowing “collective gardens” – a designation allowed by the state in which groups of up to 10 patients can grow medical marijuana for their own uses. The legislation would not specifically limit marijuana-related activity in other areas beyond existing regulations.

The proposed ordinance would also implement a size limit for indoor agricultural operations in industrial areas and make a minor change to clarify the intent of existing allowances for certain agricultural uses. This change would apply to any agricultural use in designated Manufacturing and Industrial Centers.

The Council’s Housing, Human Services, Health, and Culture Committee is planning to discuss potential amendments to the initial legislation at their May 8th meeting and could take a vote on the legislation as early as the May 22nd meeting. More information on the proposal is available at www.seattle.gov/dpd/planning/cannabiszoningrestrictions/.

Community Workshop and Resource Fair
Garfield Community Center (2323 E. Cherry Street)
Saturday, April 13, 2013
9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

• 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Resource Fair
• 9-9:30 a.m. Social 1/2 Hour and Continental Breakfast 
• 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Community Workshop

Community members will come together to share their vision for three Central Area community cores: 23rd Avenue at Union, Cherry, and Jackson streets. Neighbors, business owners, students, faculty at the local schools, parents, developers, and non-profits are coming to have their voices heard at this important event.

In addition to the workshop there will be a Resource Fair where attendees will hear about projects and from providers supporting the health and strength of the neighborhood. Organizations scheduled to make an appearance include Casa Latina, Centerstone (formerly CAMP), Umoja Peace Center, Pratt, Union Street Business Association, Coyote Central, Friends of Jimi Hendrix Park, and the Central Area Senior Center.

Questions? Comments?
For more information about the 23rd Avenue Action Plan, visit our website at:
http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/Planning/unionjackson/Overview/

You can also contact:
Kerry Wade, Outreach Specialist
(206) 733-9091
kerry.wade@seattle.gov

You can get instructions for applying for design review on our applicant’s toolbox page.

• U District Urban Design Framework Open House
  April 2, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
  University Heights Community Center, upstairs
  5031 University Way NE
  Light snacks will be provided.
• “Drop In Office Hours” with DPD
  April 4, 8:30-10:00 a.m. and April 5, 4:00-6:00 p.m.
  Café Allegro
  4214 University Way, off the alley behind Magus Books
• Read the draft Urban Design Framework
  http://bit.ly/UDistrictUDF (PDF)
• Take the online survey
  https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/UDistrictUDF

What is the U District Urban Design Framework?

For the past year, members of the U District community have worked with DPD to develop a vision for the future of the U District—the recommendations from this process are presented in a draft Urban Design Framework. Community members who helped draft and review the document include residents, business owners, the faith community, social service providers, developers, and the University of Washington. Topics include:

• Public space: how can parks, streets, and other public spaces better serve the needs of a growing community?
• Land use and height: what kinds of development does the community want to see, and how can the City’s regulations help?
• Mobility: with light rail on the way, what are smart ways to support transportation choices to, from, and within the U District?

Between 2013 and 2015, the U District Urban Design Framework will guide decisions relating to land use and design of the neighborhood.

Now is a great time to get involved and tell us about your vision for the U District!

Questions? Comments?

For more information about the University District Urban Design Framework visit our website, www.seattle.gov/dpd/Planning/University_District/. You can also contact:

Dave LaClergue
(206) 733-9668
dave.laclergue@seattle.gov

Susan McLain
(206) 684-0432
susan.mclain@seattle.gov

Open House Details

When:
Saturday, April 6
10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Where:
601 Ffifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104
(Enter via Fifth Avenue doors)

We’ll have live music, family activities, City department information booths, and a low-income utility assistance workshop.

Featured Entertainment:

• Acrobatic performance by SANCA: 11:00 a.m.
• Massive Monkees Dance Crew: 12:00 p.m.
• Food Trucks
• Adoptable Dogs and Critters

We think you’ll find our simpler design, with “plain language” content, easier to use and understand. Our site has a new focus on making things easier for the first-time user, but we’ve also made sure our frequent users have easy access to their favorite information and tools with our “Dig Deeper” sections.

Here are the top 10 changes we think you’ll be excited about:

• Mobile Responsive: You can use our site on your tablet, iPhone, or other mobile device.
• Interactive Map: We added an interactive map where you can search for your property information, check your permit and complaint status, and find permit activity by neighborhood, address, or intersection.
• Common Projects and Questions Pages: We added pages with quick reference to permit and code requirements for the most commonly requested topics.
• Code Pages: We added an overview for each of our codes where you can find easy access to the code and whether we are proposing any changes.
• Permit Pages: We created new pages for each permit type that provide step-by-step instructions on how to get a permit for your project.
• Integrated Forms and Tips: Our forms and Tips (formerly called CAMs) are now integrated into the permit, common project, and common question pages.
• Streamlined City Planning Pages: Our City Planning pages are consistently organized so you can find what’s happening and why you might want to get involved.
• Updated Population & Demographics Pages: Our Population & Demographics pages have been reorganized and streamlined to be more user-friendly.
• Mega Menus: You can access our main navigation items from the mega menus along the top of the new site.
• Tools & Resources: We combined the online tools and resources into one page.

*IP: Initial Plan Review by DPD staff