On May 4, SDCI published a proposed joint Director’s Rule with Department of Neighborhoods, for review and for public comment until May 21, 2018:
- SDCI DR 4-2018 / DON DR 1-2018, Early Community Outreach for Design Review
The proposed rule expands on the new requirement that all projects going through Design Review must conduct community outreach before beginning the early design guidance (EDG) process. It establishes:
- What constitutes a community outreach plan
- How to document compliance with the community outreach requirements
The proposed rule builds on a staff draft that was shared in August 2017, to coincide with Council deliberation on the Design Review legislation.
Background
The new requirement for early community outreach was adopted by City Council as part of Ordinance No. 125429 in October 2017. It will go into effect on July 1, 2018.
Other changes to the Design Review program that will go into effect on July 1 include changes to the thresholds that determine which projects are required to go through Design Review and what type of Design Review would be required. Read a summary of the changes.
Comment on the Rule
If you want to provide feedback on the proposed Director’s Rule, please submit your comments in writing by Friday, May 21 to: SCI_DRulesComments@seattle.gov.
Information Available
For more information on the official publication of the Director’s Rule, please view the May 4 Public Notice. We’ve also put together some Examples of Community Outreach Plans for Design Review as a resource to help applicants understand the requirements in the proposed Rule.
For more information about the changes to the Design Review program that were adopted in October 2017, please visit SDCI’s project webpage and the City Clerk’s webpage for Council Bill 119057.
For more information about the Design Review program, please visit our Design Review website.
Contact
For questions about how the new requirements in the proposed Director’s Rule may impact a specific development project, please contact:
Lisa Rutzick, SDCI
(206) 386-9049
lisa.rutzick@seattle.gov
For general questions about the proposed Director’s Rule, you may also contact:
Christina Ghan, SDCI
(206) 233-3749
christina.ghan@seattle.gov
Susie Philipsen, DON
(206) 733-9283
susie.philipsen@seattle.gov