In April, 2022 the City of Seattle passed regulations to help protect our urban canopy. Those regulations require tree service providers to register with the City of Seattle before conducting commercial tree work, consultations on private property and posting a public notice on-site for any tree work beyond minimal routine maintenance. In February 2023, the City passed additional legislation to modify and clarify those regulations. See the SDCI tree code webpage for the detailed registration and notice requirements.
Reminder: Seattle Home Fair Recordings Now Available
Thank you to everybody who attended our Seattle Home Fair sessions in January and February. We were happy that so many of you were able to join us. If you missed the Seattle Home Fairs, or want to watch a different session, the recordings, presentations, and resources are now available on our Seattle Home Fairs webpage.
New Smoke Control Acceptance Test Form
SDCI is excited to announce the upcoming release of the new Smoke Control Acceptance test form. This form will be a required item for final on all projects with Smoke Control systems that don’t have a requirement for a Special Inspector for Smoke Control assigned to them.
March Publication Updates
March Publication Updates
Seattle Home Fair Recordings Now Available
Thank you to everybody who attended our Seattle Home Fair sessions in January and February. We were happy that so many of you were able to join us. If you missed the Seattle Home Fairs, or want to watch a different session, the recordings, presentations, and resources are now available on our Seattle Home Fairs webpage.
New Smoke Control Acceptance Test Form
SDCI is excited to announce the upcoming release of the new Smoke Control Acceptance test form. This form will be a required item for final on all projects with Smoke Control systems that don’t have a requirement for a Special Inspector for Smoke Control assigned to them. The new form will replace all existing “white papers” and will provide consistency and reliability to our customers. The form will be available on the SDCI Forms page on March 15. This form will be required for all systems tested on or after April 1, 2023.
Reminder: SDCI to Resume Cancelling Applications Older than 24 Months
SDCI standard process is to cancel permit applications that are more than 24 months old to ensure projects are meeting current standards. When an applicant submits an application, they are locked into (“vested to”) the codes current at that time. If an application is not issued within 24 months, it has the potential of becoming out of date with updated life safety codes, energy requirements, land use regulations, etc. It is important that applications are issued in a timely manner so that the projects are built to modern codes.
During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mayor issued an emergency order that resulted in SDCI suspending its process of cancelling applications older than 24 months. That emergency order ended in October 2022. SDCI will now resume cancelling old applications. SDCI will send notifications to affected applicants in the coming months outlining the timeframe in which permits must be obtained or be subject to application cancellation.
February Publication Updates
In February, SDCI updated three Tips on Mandatory Housing Affordability, factory-assembled structures, and build-over approval process.
Public Comment Period Open for Onsite Non-Potable Water Systems
The Washington State Department of Health is developing rules that will govern the installation, maintenance, testing, and reporting requirements for Onsite Non-potable Water Systems within Washington. These rules will apply retroactively to existing installations. The proposed final rule (WAC 246-275) is now available for public comment through March 8 at the ONWS rulemaking website.
Reminder: Don’t Miss Our Hybrid Seattle Home Fair this February!
Once again, SDCI is hosting our popular Seattle Home Fair. Four virtual lectures will be held in February leading up to an in-person event at the Filipino Community Center on February 25, 2023, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. In addition to SDCI staff, representatives from several other City departments and Puget Sound Energy will be participating.
These free events will be jam-packed with useful information about rental housing rules, our permitting and inspection process, emergency preparedness, and much more. With something for everyone, you won’t want to miss these events!
