The Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections has a new electrical compliance inspector. The compliance inspector will work in conjunction with the Department of Labor and Industries to seek out and cite non-licensed workers and contractors. This enforcement is new to the City of Seattle and will be an ongoing project.
September Workshop for Boiler and Conveyance Customers
We are inviting anyone who is interested in using or is currently using the Seattle Services Portal to manage their boiler or conveyance records to come to our workshop this summer. This is a chance to see how you can use this tool to manage your records online. We would love the opportunity to answer your questions and hear any of your concerns.
Coming Soon: New Plan Review Process
SDCI is pleased to announce that we are planning some exciting changes to how we review plan sets. This fall, we will stop sending out standard letter-based corrections for plan reviews and begin providing marked-up documents using the Bluebeam software application. This application allows reviewers to place comments directly where they apply on the plan set, instead of describing the location of the issue in a letter. We’re confident that this change will enhance the clarity of our comments.
July Publication Updates
We published an updated Tip on plan requirements for single-family and two-unit dwellings, a draft Director’s Rule on seismic evaluation report requirements, and a final director’s rule about updates to the RRIO checklist.
Heat Pump Refrigerant Line Insulation Requirements Under Seattle Energy Code
Recently there has been confusion on interpreting the insulation requirements for refrigerant lines connecting the indoor and outdoor units of heat pumps. The following are SDCI’s requirements for insulating refrigerant lines and how they differ between residential buildings and commercial buildings.
SEPA Decision for Seattle’s Permanent Floodplain Development Regulations
In February of 2020, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) required Seattle to update our floodplain regulations to include FEMA’s new Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) and the Flood Insurance Study (FIS). FEMA’s adoption of the new map and study also included an audit of Seattle’s floodplain regulations. Through the audit, FEMA identified several places in Seattle’s code that needed to be amended in order to comply with the minimum standards in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). FEMA included the following required amendments in their audit: new definitions and updates to existing definitions to meet minimum standards; updates to the regulatory floodway development standards; and the inclusion of newly mapped coastal high hazard flood zone (VE zone) and required regulations for this zone.
As Part of Ongoing Downtown Recovery Effort, Mayor Durkan Proposes More Flexibility to Reopen Empty Storefronts and Support New Businesses Coming to Downtown
Mayor Jenny A. Durkan transmitted legislation to the City Council to allow more flexibility in permitted uses for empty downtown storefronts as Seattle seeks to revitalize the heart of the city with new shops and businesses. If passed by the City Council, the new temporary proposal would provide flexibility for businesses, artists, and other organizations to activate empty storefronts by allowing art installations, museums, and a greater variety of businesses, among other new options.
The Updated Stormwater Code Is Now Available
The City of Seattle Stormwater Code and Manual became effective July 1, 2021. Please visit our Stormwater Code website as a great deal has changed with this update. SDCI has prepared multiple training materials to help prepare applicants that are posted on the website. We are also hosting virtual Q&A sessions each Wednesday in July and August at 2:00 p.m.
June Publication Updates
We updated four Tips and published a draft Director’s Rule on an updated Rental Registration and Inspection Ordinance Checklist.
My Records Improvements Make It Easier to Manage Your Projects
The Seattle Services Portal improvements team has been working on a variety of feature updates to make it easier to use the Seattle Services Portal. On June 10, they will release an update that includes improvements to the My Records page that will make it easier to see all your records in one place, and easier to filter and sort your records to find what you need.
