In October 2012, the Seattle City Council passed the Rental Registration and Inspection Ordinance (RRIO) to help ensure that all rental housing in Seattle is safe and meets basic housing maintenance requirements. All rental properties in Seattle are required to register with the City starting in 2014 and will be inspected at least once every 10 years.
Archives for October 2013
October Publication Updates
DPD released a new Tip on businesses involved with Marijuana, an updated Tip about subdivisions, and two draft Director’s Rules related to rental housing.
Design Review Board Member Openings
The Design Review Program is currently seeking qualified candidates to fill 12 upcoming openings on the city of Seattle’s Design Review Boards. The deadline for submitting an application is December 10, 2013. The volunteer positions will begin April 4, 2014 when retiring board members’ terms expire.
Comment Letters for Floating Residences
Thank you to all of those who took the time to comment on draft of the proposed Director’s Rule on floating residences. DPD received in excess of 65 comments, all of which are posted here.
Updates for Citywide Design Guidelines with City Council
The City Council is evaluating our proposal to update the citywide design guidelines that address multifamily and commercial development outside Downtown. In addition, the City Council is also considering updates to 18 neighborhood specific guidelines that augment the citywide guidelines to match the proposed citywide format.
Construction Codes Advisory Board Openings
Your critical thinking skills would be highly valued on the Mayor-appointed, Council-approved Construction Codes Advisory Board. We are recruiting for these three openings on the CCAB.
Public Meeting Notes on Director’s Rule for Vessels 10/1/13
The Department of Planning and Development hosted a public meeting on October 1, 2013 to take public input on a preliminary draft of a Director’s Rule.
New Regulations for Micro-Housing
We‘ve monitored micro housing and congregate residences in Seattle for over two years. We’ve evaluated our rules, and are now proposing changes that will ensure we have clear and consistent regulations in place. Our proposed legislation is based on our research and responds to concerns raised by the public and elected officials.
Street Concept Plans for Public Review
DPD and the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) are releasing final versions of several streetscape concept plans for public comment. The streetscape plans are guides for improvements to streets and sidewalks that can be made over time when new buildings are built, or with city sponsored projects. These streetscape plans were done as part of our planning in neighborhoods throughout the city over the past few years.
Reminder: Time to Apply for Grading Season Extension
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.