In 2008 DPD launched an effort to update the design guidelines that are used to evaluate multifamily and commercial projects under the Design Review Program. The purpose of the update is to:
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Bring the original citywide design guidelines forward to the present day, incorporating lessons learned from the development of neighborhood-specific guidelines and almost 17 years of projects reviewed under the Seattle Design Review Program.
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Maximize the effectiveness of the guidelines as a tool in encouraging better design while keeping the guidelines clear and easy to use by applicants, board members, and the public.
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Incorporate current best practices in design guidelines and address issues not contemplated during the drafting of the original design guidelines in 1993.
The scope of the update is focused on the design guidelines that apply citywide outside of downtown. The City’s neighborhood-specific design guidelines are proposed to be reformatted to match the organization and structure of the updated citywide guidelines in order to make it easier to use both sets of guidelines—citywide and neighborhood—for any given project. Changes to the neighborhood guidelines are limited to formatting changes; none of the original content of the neighborhood-specific guidelines has been changed.
The City Council’s Planning Land Use and Sustainability Committeewill begin its deliberations on the proposed guidelines update starting in February. On February 13, DPD will brief the committee on the proposal at their regular meeting.
A City Council public hearing to take comments will be held:
Monday March 4, 2013
City Council Chambers, Seattle City Hall
600 Fourth Avenue, Floor 2
The public hearing is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. For those who wish to testify, a sign-up sheet will be available outside Council Chambers at 5:00 p.m. on the day of the hearing.
Questions concerning the public hearing may be directed to Sara Nelson in Councilmember Richard Conlin’s office at (206) 684-8805 or sara.nelson@seattle.gov. Questions regarding the proposal may be directed to Mike Podowski at DPD at (206) 386-1988 or mike.podowski@seattle.gov.
The proposal is also available on the City Clerk’s website at http://clerk.seattle.gov/~public/CBOR1.htm. Search for Council Bill 117619.