Just when it seemed like momentum had stalled on legislation focused on advancing the life-saving retrofits for unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings, #FixtheBricks found new footing—this time in the state operating budget. The Fix the Bricks campaign is a public safety and policy advocacy effort focused on making URM buildings safer before the next earthquake. A major focus of the campaign, over… [ Keep reading ]
The City of Seattle is in the process of updating Seattle’s Stormwater Code and Stormwater Manual as required by the Washington State Department of Ecology. The proposed legislation for the 2026 Stormwater Code is available at the Council Bill 121190 website under the “Text” tab. Upcoming Meeting Dates The Council… [ Keep reading ]
On March 26, SDCI’s pre-submittal conference and paid coaching applications moved to the Seattle Services Portal. Customers can now apply for these services by: For more information, read How to Submit a Pre-submittal Conference or Paid Coaching Application, or email us.
In the next couple of months, some existing charges will be shifted to your side sewer permit. These charges include core tap and drainage system development charges (SDCs). Core Tap Charges: Starting April 13, 2026, core taps into drainage and wastewater mains will be included on the side sewer permit… [ Keep reading ]
—Join Us For Discussions of Lessons Learned to Advance Seismic Safety Initiatives Twenty-five years after the Nisqually earthquake shook the Puget Sound region, the City of Seattle is gathering at Seattle City Hall to remember the day the ground moved—and to continue important conversations about the city’s ongoing seismic preparedness…. [ Keep reading ]
Dear Community Partners: Tuesday, Mayor Bruce Harrell released the 2026 Proposed Budget. In this budget, Mayor Harrell is continuing investments and bold actions to address the needs of our communities and advance our One Seattle priorities. Mayor Harrell’s balanced budget proposal remains focused on strengthening public safety, creating housing affordability… [ Keep reading ]
Based on recent discussions with architects and consultation with the International Code Council, SDCI has withdrawn two Construction Code Interpretations relating to Fire Wall Horizontal Continuity. (706.5: Fire Wall Horizontal Continuity and 706.5: Fire Wall Horizontal Continuity at Offsets). Our technical code team will be working on developing amendments to… [ Keep reading ]
House Bill 1810, to identify and incentivize earthquake retrofits of Unreinforced Masonry (URM) buildings, has been introduced to the Appropriations Committee for consideration. Unreinforced Masonry (URM) buildings, classic red brick buildings of common construction prior to World War II, are at risk of collapse in an earthquake due to their… [ Keep reading ]
