SDCI is pleased to announce that we will be supporting the Seattle Fire Department (SFD) with the addition of some new steps in our permitting process. These new steps will allow us to ensure all energy storage systems installed in Seattle will receive the proper permits and reviews needed to keep our buildings safe. We are making this change in response to new requirements in the state and international fire codes.
Seattle is experiencing challenging conditions. This is affecting the ability of people who have permits or will soon obtain permits to start their projects. Availability of financing and other costs influence whether or when many of these projects can proceed.
We’ve finally posted all the videos and related information from October’s virtual Home Fair presentations. Check them out on our Home Fair web page! Please send Home Fair feedback, for both virtual and in-person, to wendy.shark@seattle.gov.
Reflecting on seismic activity in 2023, nine deadly and damaging earthquakes occurred globally. In February, Turkey and Syria experienced two earthquakes over magnitude 7.5 that killed over 59 thousand people. In September, Morocco experienced a magnitude 6.8 earthquake that killed almost three thousand people. In October, Afghanistan experienced a magnitude 6.3 earthquake that killed over one thousand people. In November, Nepal experienced a magnitude 5.7 earthquake that killed over 150 people. In December, China experienced a magnitude 5.9 earthquake that killed 149 people. Four additional earthquakes in Afghanistan, Ecuador, Turkey, and the Philippines each resulted in deaths of ten or more people. While earthquakes cannot be predicted, we know Seattle will experience a damaging earthquake in the future and we can predict how buildings will perform in an earthquake. 2023 was a year of progress and milestones in advancing the seismic resilience of Seattle’s unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings, buildings that are prone to collapse in an earthquake.
We updated five Tips, published a final Director’s Rule on relocation assistance eligibility, and rescinded several outdated Director’s Rules.
The Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI) is excited to announce the Watershed building in Fremont is our third Living Building Pilot building to successfully complete the pilot program green building requirements. The Watershed building recently received Petal Certification from the International Living Future Institute (ILFI) and met the requirements to reduce energy and water use. Only two other pilot projects have successfully completed the process—the Bullitt Center and Stone 34.
Employees from SDCI and Seattle IT attended the Accela annual conference, Accelarate, September 23 – 27 in Washington D.C. The City of Seattle was honored at the recognition luncheon with an Accelarate Trendsetter Award for “Connecting in Purpose – Permitting System Integration” for the Seattle Services Portal (on the Accela platform). The annual conference and Trendsetter Awards are opportunities for agencies in the US to connect and learn from each other to move governments forward to improve services to the public. The award recognizes government agencies as well as individuals who embrace technology and digital modernization to deliver reliable services to their communities.
SDCI is the Addressing Authority for the City of Seattle. It is essential that assigned addresses are accurate so the property can reliably receive the following services: mail delivery, utilities, and emergency services. When King County records condominiums as part of the process to assign assessor parcel numbers, they sometimes assign addresses that do not match the addresses we have on record at SDCI. This is particularly prevalent in neighborhood residential (NR) zones with attached and detached accessory dwelling units.
SDCI is committed to providing you with the best possible service and support throughout your residential building projects. We understand that the inspection process can sometimes feel overwhelming, and that’s why we are thrilled to introduce our new Residential Inspection Quick Sheets! Our Residential Inspection Quick Sheets are guides designed to help give transparency to the inspection process by understanding what our inspectors are looking for during inspections.
Effective October 13, 2023, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is no longer requiring long-term, renewing permits for signs that project from private property over public right-of-way. This includes blade signs, wall signs, under-canopy signs, awning graphics, etc. Please see SDOT Director’s Rule 05-2023: Signs Projecting over Public Right-of-Way for details on this change in requirements. Review the SDOT Public Space Management webpage, Signs, Awnings, and Graphics over the Right-of-Way, to better understand which permits are no longer required.
