Why are families important to cities? What can we learn from other cities about the design and development of urban schools, active spaces, housing, and safety? What are the local opportunities Seattle designers, developers, business and policy-makers can take advantage of right now and in the future to make Seattle a welcoming urban environment for families?

This day-long conference will spotlight the challenges of attracting and retaining intergenerational families in urban neighborhoods. Hear from local, regional and national experts, and learn what other cities in North America are doing to create great urban environments for families.

Meeting Details

When:
Thursday, April 11
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Where:
Seattle City Hall
Bertha Knight Landes Room 600 Fourth Ave

Cost:
$150 (Students: $30)

Each presentation includes inspiring national examples, as well as a thoughtful examination of our special Seattle opportunities and challenges.

Sessions include:

• Where Will They Live? Challenges and Solutions for Urban Family Housing
• Active Space: Rejuvenating Urban Landscapes
• Urban Schools: Good for Kids, Good for Cities
• Transportation and Land Use: Health, Economics, and Sustainability
• Making It Happen: Market vs. Policy

Featured Speakers

Keynote Speaker:
Dr. Lawrence Frank of the Health & Community Design Lab at the University of British Columbia

Additional Speakers

• Michael Pyatok, Pyatok Architects
• Catherine Benotto, Weber Thompson
• Rick Hooper, Seattle Office of Housing;
• Marshall Foster, Seattle Planning Director
• Lorne McConachie, Bassetti Architects
• Joe Puggelli, Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences
• Barbara Gray, Seattle Depart. of Transportation
• Gary Johnson, DPD
• Kay Smith-Blum, Seattle School Board
• Steve Durrant, Alta Planning + Design
• Sarah Snider, LMN Architects
• Helle Burlingame, HBB Expertise
• Scott Matthews, Vulcan, Inc
• Hannah McIntosh, Central Waterfront Program
• Dr. Pooja S. Tandon, Seattle Children’s Research Institute.

To see the full scheduled and to register, please go to AIA Seattle’s website at www.aiaseattle.org/FamilyFriendlyDowntown2013.

The 16-member commission advises the Mayor, Council, and City departments on citywide planning goals, policies, and plans and provides them with independent and objective advice on land-use and zoning, transportation and housing issues. In the recent past the commission helped set the urban planning agenda for the City by raising the visibility of important issues such as vibrant and successful transit communities, an action plan for affordable housing, and the importance of including livability features like schools, open space, parks, plazas, street lights, libraries, and community centers in neighborhoods slated for substantial job and residential growth.

The Seattle Planning Commission reflects a broad range of professional and community experience and perspectives and seeks to be representative of the ethnic, racial, cultural, and socioeconomic diversity of the Seattle community. The commission is seeking candidates with skills and experience in housing, transportation, urban planning, and development experience as well as community-building expertise.

Participation in the planning commission requires a significant commitment. This includes attendance at monthly meetings (the second and fourth Thursdays of each month) and participation on at least one sub-committee that meets monthly. Commissioners also attend and participate in relevant public meetings and events.

To be considered for appointment to the commission, please send a letter of interest and resume by February 25, 2013 addressed to:

Barbara Wilson, Executive Director
Seattle Planning Commission
City of Seattle
Department of Planning and Development
PO Box 34019
Seattle WA 98124-4019

Please consider including any voluntary personal information regarding your cultural background, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or disability that might assist us in meeting the City’s goal to create diverse boards and commissions.

For more information, please contact:

Barbara Wilson
Commission Executive Director
(206) 684-0431
barb.wilson@seattle.gov

All DPD web applications will be out of service, due to electrical repairs.

During the outage, you can still schedule inspections at (206) 684-8900 and file a complaint at (206) 615-0808.

Permit and other services will be limited during the interruption. For questions about available services, call (206) 684-8850. Visit www.seattle.gov/dpd on Sept. 4 and Sept. 5 to learn if DPD is back to regular business operations.

The following services will be available but very limited. Wait times will be much longer than normal.

• Corrected plan submittal
• General permit process and technical code coaching that is not site specific
• Inspection services
• Intake appointments that were already scheduled
• Over-the-counter electrical permits
• Microfiche viewing
• Permit issuance
• Permit revisions submittal

These following services will NOT be available on Thurs., Aug. 30 at 5:00 p.m. to Wed., Sept. 5 at 8:00 a.m.

• Appointment scheduling
• Electronic Plan Review submittal, including preliminary applications and pre-application site inspection requests
• Online electrical permits
• Online fee payment
• Online public notice
• Public access to scanned plans
• Permit renewal/reestablishment
• Preliminary Assessment Reports
  Site-specific project coaching
• Side sewer information and permits
• Subject-to-Field-Inspection permits
• Self sign-in kiosk
• Sewer plats (22nd floor)
• Trade licensing tests and renewals (21st floor)

All permit reviews, including expedited Priority Green permits, may be affected by the service outage.

For information on the citywide service outages, please visit: http://alerts.seattle.gov/

The City of Seattle and regional partners are identifying long-term green priorities and developing new code to address climate change.The public can comment on the draft code language at the Green Code Provisions Open House. Staff will be available to answer questions and give feedback to those who want to comment.

For more information about the open house and how to comment, please contact Kathleen Petrie at (206) 615-0541 or kathleen.petrie@seattle.gov or visit the Green Code Provisions website.

What are Green Code Provisions?

Green code provisions for 2012 focus on long-term green priorities such as water conservation, material conservation, sustainable transportation and healthy landscapes. Some examples include promoting salvage instead of recycling, tightening up water irrigation and using more efficient hardware for buildings.

These provisions were formed from programs including Built Green, LEED, and the Living Building Challenge, which have driven the building industry toward long-term green priorities.

“It was a distinct honor and a privilege to serve as chair of the Seattle Planning Commission and I thank all the members of the commission for trusting me to represent the group’s views and opinions,” stated Miller. “As vice chair, Dave was a brilliant right-hand man who always had a measured response at the ready and a pen in his hand, ready to sketch out a solution. SPC will thrive under his leadership as chair!”

Cutler is an architect and senior associate at GGLO. His experience includes residential, institutional, and mixed-use architecture at many scales, with a focus in sustainable urban design and planning. At the block-, district-, and city-scale, his projects often include transit, public-private partnerships, performance-based codes, and significant public engagement. David co-chairs the Light Rail Review Panel and is a member of Seattle 2030 District. He has spoken regionally and nationally on topics related to urban design. David is a resident of Capitol Hill where he lives with his wife and three young children.

In addition to electing Cutler as their new chair, the commission elected new leadership as follows:

• Amalia Leighton will serve as the commission’s vice chair
• Jeanne Krikawa and Colie Hough Beck will serve as co-chairs for the commission’s Land Use and Transportation Committee
• Catherine Benotto will chair the commission’s Housing and Neighborhood Committee
• Mark Johnson will serve as an at-large member of the commission’s Executive Committee

The commission recently formed a new Special Task Force that will lead the commission’s multi-year effort on the Major Update of Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan. The commission elected Commissioners Josh Brower, Kevin McDonald and Leslie Miller to tri-chair the Special Task Force.

The leadership term will last until July 2013.

“The action strategy we put forward today will help Seattle address important gaps in our housing market and disparities among certain segments of the population,” stated Planning Commission Chair Leslie Miller, “Seattle is a stronger, more prosperous city if we have diversity in people who live and work here.”

The Commission’s analysis revealed several compelling findings that point to such gaps and disparities. For example, Seattle households are increasingly burdened by their housing costs. This is the case for households in lower-income, middle-income categories, and households overall.  Not surprisingly the lowest income households are particularly impacted by high housing costs in Seattle and many find that they can only afford to live here if housing is subsidized.  We also see that there is a disparity in homeownership rates particularly for Black and African American households.  Families with children are finding it difficult to rent units that are large enough. 

“The Planning Commission report adds to the evidence that it is more difficult than ever for a range of households to afford to live in this city.” stated Council Housing Chair Nick Licata, “but it particularly underlines that it is the lowest-income households who struggle and sacrifice the most to pay for housing.”

On a more positive note, many people who live in Seattle’s walkable, transit rich neighborhoods are finding that they can significantly reduce their transportation cost which helps offset higher housing costs.

“This report outlines an important connection between housing, transportation, jobs, and retail opportunities, ” stated Mayor Mike McGinn, “These connections and more are what I will keep in mind as I work to protect what makes Seattle special for all those who choose to live and work here. ”

View a PDF of the report.

The City’s Building Energy Benchmarking and Reporting Program is currently underway for nonresidential buildings over 50,000 sq. ft.  This next phase will require nonresidential buildings over 10,000 sq. ft. and multifamily buildings with five or more units to benchmark and report their energy performance by April 1, 2012.

The City has developed a series of educational materials – including hands-on training workshops, webinars and a step-by-step “How To” guide – to help owners with benchmarking and provide them information on utility energy-saving programs, rebates and other financial incentives to save energy.

To make the benchmarking process as seamless as possible, the City has partnered with local utilities to provide owners with the building energy consumption data they need in a convenient format. Using the free online tool, ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, owners will be able to easily see their building’s energy performance and how it stacks up against similar buildings. Having this information at their fingertips is the first step towards improving building energy performance and reducing energy costs.

“Buildings consume more than 40% of the energy produced in the U.S. but there is a huge opportunity to lower energy costs through better building efficiency”, said Diane Sugimura, Director of Seattle’s Department of Planning and Development.  “The City successfully launched the first phase of the Building Energy Benchmarking program earlier this year and we’re excited to begin reaching an even larger pool of buildings.  Helping building owners track their energy use is an important step towards improving building energy efficiency, reducing energy costs, and invigorating the retrofit market to create good local jobs”, she said.

This second group of buildings represents a diverse group of building owners and types including offices, schools, restaurants, retail outlets and more.   These properties make up a significant portion of Seattle’s building stock and a great opportunity for increased energy savings.

Many owners and managers already familiar with the benchmarking process see it as a good business practice that helps lower operating costs and boost bottom lines. 

“The more information and knowledge you have about your building’s energy performance, the more power you have to control it, “ said Lynda Carey, Construction and Asset Manager at Bellwether, an affordable housing organization in Seattle. “For us, benchmarking and making energy-efficiency improvements isn’t just about helping the environment, it is also a good business decision. Our mission is to help families afford more than rent, so the more we can do to lower our energy costs and keep housing affordable, the better.”

The City is working to ensure that all buildings are benchmarked on an annual basis, and that building energy use information is available to potential tenants, buyers and lenders during real estate transactions. That way, building owners, businesses and residents alike can make more informed and cost-conscious decisions when upgrading, buying or renting property.

“The key is education. Once an owner understands how their building is performing and how improving energy efficiency impacts their bottom line and productivity, most jump right in and start making improvements,” said Kevin Dingle, President of Sustaining Structures – a green building consulting company in Seattle.   

“Part of managing properties properly is providing as much cash flow to investors as possible. And a big part of that is managing utility costs,” said John Speirs, Senior Vice President at KG Investments – a Seattle-based real estate investment and property management company that regularly benchmarks its properties. “Energy is one of our largest expenses. The lower we can keep our energy costs, the more we can bring to the bottom line, and the better our return on investment. We support the efforts the City is making to expand the use of benchmarking and think it’s a great idea.”

For more information about the program, visit the City’s Energy Benchmarking and Reporting Ordinance website: http://seattle.gov/dpd/Energybenchmarking or email: energybenchmarking@seattle.gov.

During the 2010/2011 landslide season, nearly 100 landslides were reported in Seattle.

Landslide experts agree there is not one single factor that contributes to the amount of slides in the area, but with last year’s La Nina type weather conditions – the wet and cold weather saturated the soil and greatly reduced slope stability.

With 20,000 Seattle properties (mostly residential) in landslide-prone areas, the City of Seattle and the Take Winter By Storm campaign encourage property owners to take preventive measures to protect themselves from landslides by attending the last 2011 City of Seattle Landslide Awareness Meeting on Saturday, Nov 12.

The free landslide awareness meeting will give the public the opportunity to consult with public/private landslide experts and learn simple preventive measures that will help protect them from future landslides, such as the following:

• Checking downspouts; making sure they are functioning/routed to a safe location
• Inspecting sloping areas for indications of slope movement and erosion
• Keeping fill and yard waste off slopes
• Shutting off the irrigation system and checking it out seasonally
• Leaving tree stumps in the ground on slopes

2011 City of Seattle Landslide Awareness Meeting

The landslide awareness meetings will include a presentation that discusses the causes of landslides, proper drainage for sloping sites, and vegetation maintenance on slopes. The presentation will be followed by a question and answer session and time for one-on-one discussions with professionals in the field, including the City of Seattle, The American Society for Civil Engineers, The Association of Engineering Geologists, The International Society of Arboriculture, and Associated Building Contractors.

Nov. 12 – 10:00 a.m. to Noon
South Seattle Community College
Judge Warren & Nobie Chan Education Center
6000 16^th Ave. SW (across from the north parking lot)
 

Seattle Landslides 

The landslide record that was documented in the Seattle Landslide Study indicates that 86 percent of landslides that have occurred in the city have some human influence such as excavating and filling on steep slopes, broken pipes and uncontrolled storm water.

Since the devastating landslide season of 1996/1997, which involved over 300 reported landslides, the city has taken steps to prepare and respond to slides by constructing mitigation projects to reduce the potential for future slides. It has also been presenting these public landslide awareness meetings for owners of landslide-prone property.

If a landslide damages your property and you have an immediate concern for your safety, leave the premises and call 9-1-1. Seattle property owners with structures that may be affected by or endangered by a landslide should contact a geotechnical professional for structural evaluation.

To view the current conditions of the USGS rainfall threshold for landslides, please visit: http://landslides.usgs.gov/monitoring/seattle/rtd/plot.php.

For more information about Seattle landslides and the City of Seattle free landslide awareness meetings, please visit: www.seattle.gov/dpd/emergency/landslides.

Take Winter By Storm is a regional campaign aimed at helping citizens and businesses get prepared before bad weather strikes. Learn more at: www.takewinterbystorm.org.

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For more information, please visit the Seattle City Council calendar or the Roosevelt Rezone website.