In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, SDCI closed the in-person Applicant Services Center (ASC). SDCI has been working to offer new and better ways to connect customers with SDCI expert staff for conversations they’ve missed during the pandemic. We are excited to announce that we have launched a Virtual Applicant Services Center (Virtual ASC). You can now receive responses to your questions without coming to downtown Seattle. In the future, we will be offering targeted in-person service on the 4th floor of the Seattle Municipal Tower to serve customers who need assistance with accessing our online services or who need to pay fees in cash.
New Zoning Name – Neighborhood Residential Zones
On December 15, 2021, Mayor Durkan signed Ordinance 126509, which changes the name of “Single Family” zones to “Neighborhood Residential” zones.
Seattle’s Land Use Code and the official zoning maps divide the city geographically into zoning districts (e.g., single-family residential, multifamily residential, commercial, industrial, etc.). Ordinance 126509 applies the new zone name by dividing the neighborhood residential areas into four zones, based on pre-existing minimum required lot sizes: Single-family 9600 (SF 9600), Single-family 7200 (SF 7200), Single-family 5000 (SF 5000), and Residential Small Lot (RSL).
New Renewal Process for Boiler, Conveyance, and Refrigeration Permits
On May 12, SDCI launched a new feature in the Seattle Services Portal that allows applicants to renew their boiler, conveyance, and refrigeration permits 30 days before their 18-month issuance period expires. Prior to this new feature, our customers had to call or email SDCI staff to initiate a manual renewal process that could take multiple phone calls or emails to complete. Now, applicants can simply sign in to their portal account and renew their permit in a few clicks.
Priority Green Expedited Saved Applicants Time During the Pandemic
Priority Green Expedited offers faster building permit review and processing for new construction projects. We do this by prioritizing your application for initial and corrected plan review. Additionally, we give you a contact person to help you solve problems during the review process, provide permit status updates, and answer questions. We recently evaluated data for the last two years to find out if Priority Green Expedited met the program goals during these unprecedented and difficult times. Our evaluation found that we issued Priority Green projects over 4 months faster than non-Priority Green projects.
Side Sewer Contractor’s Responsibility for Liner Installation
When a liner is installed in a private side sewer, it is the contractor’s responsibility not to extend the liner into the city sewer mainline or leave any related equipment or debris in the mainline. If the contractor suspects that the liner does extend into the mainline or any equipment and/or related debris has entered the mainline, SPU requests that the contractor contact the SDCI site inspector immediately.
Building Safety Month 2022
SDCI is once again recognizing the International Code Council’s Building Safety Month for 2022. Building Safety Month is an international educational campaign celebrated in May every year to raise awareness about building safety. The campaign reinforces the need for adoption of modern, regularly updated technical building codes, and helps individuals, families, and businesses understand what it takes to create safe and sustainable structures.
Need Help with Your Utility Bills?
Seattle City Light (electricity) and Seattle Public Utilities (water/sewer/garbage) understand that the COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult for some of their customers to afford utility services. They offer short- and long-term payment plans and bill assistance programs to help you get caught up and stay current on your utility bills.
Learn more online at seattle.gov/UtilityBillHelp or by calling (206) 684-3000 (interpretation services available).
Useful Tool Reminder: Shaping Seattle Maps!
Over the past two years, SDCI released several convenient permit research tools in the form of new and improved map layers in our Shaping Seattle map application. We wanted to remind you about all the features and information that you can now easily find as you are searching for complete information related to land use & construction permits, rental housing registrations, and complaints and violations.
Revised Policy for Use of Fire Walls in Lieu of Substantial Alterations
Substantial alterations are a part of the Seattle Residential Code (SRC) that is applied when a large percentage of the house is being renovated or a large addition is being constructed; SRC Section R107.9. The requirements of substantial alterations are to update the house to the current code for major life safety items of fire, egress, and seismic. Substantial alterations may be required when an attached accessory dwelling unit (AADU) is created as an addition to an existing house. Traditionally, SDCI has given a break from substantial alterations when an AADU is being created in an existing house to support the housing need in Seattle, though this break has not been given when a new addition to a house is for an AADU. Recently, SDCI has revised the policy to allow fire wall construction in compliance with Seattle Building Code 706 to separate a new addition from an existing dwelling unit per SRC 107.5.
Open House: Building Performance Standards Policy Development
The Office of Sustainability and Environment (OSE) is conducting stakeholder and community engagement on creating draft legislation for new City of Seattle regulations for commercial and multifamily buildings. The draft legislation would apply to commercial and multifamily buildings 20,000 square feet and larger and would reduce climate-polluting emissions and transition towards cleaner, healthier places to live and work. Called ‘Building Performance Standards,’ these carbon emissions targets would become gradually stronger over time towards a goal of cleaner, healthier, ‘net-zero’ carbon emissions buildings by 2050.
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