July Publication Updates
August 3, 2020
We updated 8 Tips and published 3 draft Director’s Rules and 2 final Director’s Rules.
New Shaping Seattle Map for Finding Land Use and Construction Permits
July 27, 2020
SDCI is pleased to announce the release of its new Shaping Seattle: Property & Building Activity map. This new map allows users to find active construction and land use permits and proposals subject to Design Review in their neighborhood. The map will make it easier for the public to research active permits, find related documents and permit records, view upcoming Design Review meeting dates, and comment on land use permits under review. SDCI optimized the map to work best on mobile devices so you can quickly find permit information about projects you see when walking in your community.
Rolling Out Virtual Design Review Board Meetings
July 24, 2020
Under the Washington State Governor’s Proclamation No. 20-28.5, Design Review Board in-person meetings are currently prohibited while physical distancing measures remain in place. Therefore, SDCI will continue to restrict in-person meetings for the Design Review program until King County is approved to move to Phase 4 of the “Safe Start” reopening plan. Until then, we are pleased to announce that we will begin the gradual rollout of virtual Design Review Board meetings beginning in August. We are launching this effort for Early Design Guidance meetings only. After one month we will assess our ability to expand virtual meetings to accommodate projects in the Recommendation phase as well (ie. all projects).
2018 Seattle Construction Code Adoption Delayed Until 2021
July 15, 2020
SDCI is in the process of updating Seattle’s construction codes to the 2018 versions of the building, residential, existing buildings, fire, electrical, mechanical, energy, fuel gas, elevator, boiler, and plumbing codes. Due to many factors, including the impacts of the COVID-19, the 2018 Washington State Construction Codes effective date has been delayed. SDCI will be aligning the effective date of our 2018 code versions with the State’s current effective date of February 1, 2021.
Seattle Floodplain Development Regulations
June 30, 2020
In February 2020, FEMA published a Flood Hazard Determination adopting a new Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) and Flood Insurance Study (FIS) for all jurisdictions in King County, including Seattle. FEMA’s adoption of the new FIRM and FIS requires that each jurisdiction update their regulations with this new information in order to comply with the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
Contractor Disclosure Changes
June 30, 2020
SDCI is making improvements to the Seattle Services Portal to ensure valid contractor information is provided for required projects. Once we have implemented these changes, we will no longer require a contractor disclosure form. Instead, there will be an option at multiple stages in a record to provide (or change) contractor information by proving an active contractor license number or to indicate that the project is exempt from needing a contractor. We require valid contractor information before we issue any building permit in accordance with state law. We will send applicants reminder notifications at multiple stages of the application to let project contacts know if this requirement has not yet been complete
Coming Soon: Apply for a Certificate of Approval Online
June 30, 2020
If your building is a designated City of Seattle landmark or located in a historic district, changes to the building or its use may require a Certificate of Approval before work can begin. Beginning in August, you will be able to use the Seattle Services Portal to submit your application for a Certificate.
New Shaping Seattle Map for Researching Permits
June 30, 2020
SDCI is pleased to announce the release of its new Shaping Seattle: Property & Building Activity map. This new, mobile-first map allows users to find active construction, land use, and Design Review permits in their neighborhood. The new map will make it easier for you, our customers, to research active permits, find related documents and permit records, and comment on land use permits under review. We’ve optimized the map to work on mobile devices so you can quickly find permit information about projects you see when walking in your neighborhood.
Seattle Urban Forestry Commission, Position 8
June 30, 2020
The Mayor’s Office is looking for a representative of either the development community, including developers, builders, architects, or realtors, with experience in projects developed under Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), or a representative from a non-city utility to fill Position # 8 (Development community or Utility Representative) of the Urban Forestry Commission (UFC). The term starts upon appointment and extends through March 31, 2022.
Draft Floating on Water Vessels Director Rule
June 30, 2020
SDCI is proposing a new Director’s Rule, Verification of floating on-water residences. The purpose of the Director’s Rule is to clarify the application material required for verification of floating on-water residences and to establish an end date for verification of any new floating on-water residences.