As warmer weather arrives, our code enforcement inspectors are seeing a sharp increase in overgrown vegetation affecting sidewalks, rights‑of‑way, and building access. These conditions can create safety hazards for pedestrians, limit visibility, and impede emergency access. What we look for during inspections: How property owners can help: Thank you to… [ Keep reading ]
The FBI has issued a warning about a nationwide phishing scam in which criminals impersonate city and county planning and zoning officials to solicit fraudulent permit-related payments. These emails often include accurate permit details and professional-looking formatting but originate from non-government domains and pressure recipients to pay via wire transfer… [ Keep reading ]
We’ve made meaningful progress this year to support housing, improve services, and strengthen our permitting and regulatory systems. We advanced affordable housing initiatives, supported office‑to‑residential conversions, expanded shelter capacity, and continued to invest in future development through Mandatory Housing Affordability funding. We also improved our core services. The City Council… [ Keep reading ]
The Lab at City Light – City Light’s education and training resource for efficient electrification – wants feedback from contractors like you! The Lab is conducting a survey with the research firm TRC to gather your perspectives on trainings and materials that would be most helpful and relevant to your… [ 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 joint SDCI/SPU Draft Directors’ Rule (the Stormwater Manual) will be released for final public comment the week of March 16, 2026, and will be… [ Keep reading ]
On February 28, 2001, the Nisqually earthquake shook the Puget Sound region to its core. Twenty-five years later, on February 26, 2026, experts in seismology, emergency management, structural engineering, and public policy revisited that moment — grounding the conversation in lived experience while challenging nearly 100 attendees to rethink how… [ Keep reading ]
The Seattle City Council’s Land Use and Sustainability Committee will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, March 4, at 9:30 AM, about Council Bill (CB) 121152. The meeting will be held at: Seattle City HallCity Council Chambers, 2nd floor600 4th AvenueSeattle, WA 98104 The CB would: In February of 2020,… [ Keep reading ]
The City of Seattle recently adopted ordinances 127375 and 127376 to boost housing supply and options in Seattle’s residential zones. Much of Seattle is zoned as Neighborhood Residential (NR), where most of the changes in the ordinances apply. This zone is characterized by moderate density housing that includes: Other residential… [ Keep reading ]
On February 18, 2026, Mayor Katie Wilson signed two Ordinances (Council Bill 121093 and Council Bill 121135) updating the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) review requirements. The changes will take effect March 20. This simplifies permits by eliminating most SEPA reviews citywide for new housing. This should shorten the permitting… [ Keep reading ]
