We’ll be hosting our popular Seattle Home Fairs online on Saturday, January 29, 2022, and Sunday, January 30, 2022. Both dates will have the same presentations to give you a couple of opportunities to attend the sessions that most interest you. Our virtual home fairs will be full of useful information about our permitting process, code requirements, renting in Seattle, and much, much more.
SDCI is enthused to announce the release of its new Shaping Seattle: Rental Housing Registrations map. This new map displays current Rental Registration and Inspection Ordinance (RRIO) information for rental property in Seattle, including registration and inspection status and violation information. This map will make it easier for the public to find and track information for rental properties in their community. SDCI optimized the map to work best on mobile devices so you can quickly find rental housing registration information about properties in your neighborhood.
After we have published a Decision for your platting action MUP or issued a Determination Letter about your lot boundary adjustment (LBA), we will send survey recording instructions and requirements to you. Once you have received the published Decision or LBA determination letter, please follow the instructions to record your survey.
Mayor Bruce Harrell is recruiting to fill a vacancy on the Seattle Design Commission for a licensed Professional Engineer. The two-year term for this position will start following Council confirmation, estimated to occur by May 2022. Commissioners are appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council. Commissioners are eligible for a second two-year term following completion of their first two-year term. The 10‐member commission is comprised of architects, artists, urban designers, urban planners, landscape architects, civil engineers, a member‐at‐large, and one member from Get Engaged, the YMCA Young Civic Leaders Program.
In November, ordinance 126455 went into effect allowing Seattle to accept the transfer of development rights (TDR) from farms and forests in Snohomish County as part of the existing regional TDR program active in certain areas of Downtown and South Lake Union. Under existing rules, development in parts of Downtown and South Lake Union may achieve extra floor area by providing certain public benefits such as purchasing development rights from farms and forests in King County. This legislation expands the geographic areas where TDR can come from to include Snohomish County as well.
SDCI updated several Tips and published the final Director’s Rule updating the building valuation data for 2022.
We’re continuing to work on its transition to Bluebeam. While we have made significant progress, we have decided to delay our launch of this until January while we confirm network security protocols and optimize the migration of permit reviews that are in process to the new platform.
The Seattle City Council recently adopted the 2022 budget, including legislation that implements SDCI fee changes in 2022. For the second consecutive year, SDCI will not implement an across-the-board increase in fees but instead will continue decreasing a number of fees.
For the past year our Design Review team has been hard at work striving towards a more inclusive process for historically underserved communities in Seattle, while at the same time creating automated process to reduce repetitive tasks that drain time and resources. With an eye and ear towards making Design Review meetings more accessible, we are studying the values to hosting the meetings virtually. Through our Racial Equality Toolkit, we have identified numerous key components that elevate the virtual experience for members of our community.
Improved Public Comments Tool
We’ve launched a new tool to help customers more easily submit public comments. Customers can use the Seattle Services Portal to submit public comments online and attach supporting photos and documents.