The rainy season is rapidly approaching, which means it’s time to think about whether you will be doing any grading between November 1, 2013 and March 31, 2014. If your project includes Geotechnical Special Inspections AND if your project is in an environmentally critical area or involves a large quantity of earth-moving, check the Geotechnical Special Inspection assignment letter sent to you by DPD shortly after permit issuance.
If you see an item called “Monitor Grading Season Restriction” on the assignment letter, this means that grading between November 1, 2013 and March 31, 2014 is prohibited unless you apply for and receive a Grading Season Extension. For smaller projects in ECA’s, there may be a note in the assignment letter allowing you to follow the additional measures for wet weather work shown on the approved plan set in lieu of a formal grading season extension application.
For information on how to apply for a Grading Season Extension, see Director’s Rule 17-2011, available on the DPD website. You can submit an application online through your DPD Project Portal at http://web6.seattle.gov/DPD/eplan/ (preferred method) or with the paper application in Director’s Rule 17-2011. We may take up to two weeks to review your application. Please note that your permit must be issued before we can process a grading season extension application. Contact the on-call geotechnical engineer at (206) 684-8950 if you have questions about submittal requirements or whether you need an extension.