Seattle Public Utilities Solid Waste and SDCI seek comments from the development community on a proposed ordinance to update SMC Land Use Code 23.54.040 – Solid Waste Storage & Access. SMC 23.54.040 has not had a substantial update in 16 years. Many sections fail to meet the needs of an… [ Keep reading ]
We cannot predict earthquakes, but we can predict how a building performs in an earthquake. Seattle has 1,100 unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings that are vulnerable to collapse in an earthquake because they lack structural reinforcements. SDCI is supporting efforts to seismically retrofit these buildings. SDCI is coordinating with first responders… [ Keep reading ]
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… [ Keep reading ]
SDCI and the Department of Neighborhoods are proposing updates to the Land Use Code for new public school construction projects. The amendments are intended to change development standards to help support current educational needs such as flexible classroom design, outdoor play areas, parking, and school bus loading. Changes are also… [ Keep reading ]
The Seattle construction codes are being updated to the 2021 code editions and include the building, residential, existing building, energy, mechanical, plumbing, fuel gas, and fire codes. The Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code is also being updated to the 2023 edition. The target implementation date for the 2021 Seattle Construction Codes… [ Keep reading ]
SDCI is proposing to exempt from Design Review new developments that include residential, hotel, and research and development (R&D) laboratories, as a part of Mayor Harrell’s Downtown Activation Plan (DAP). The bill would apply for three years, waiving the Design Review process for development proposals that contain mostly residential or hotel uses, or R&D laboratories, within the following urban center neighborhoods: Downtown; South Lake Union; Uptown; and First Hill.
As part of his Downtown Activation Plan, Mayor Bruce Harrell has submitted new legislation to Seattle City Council aimed at filling vacant commercial spaces in existing buildings on key streets in Downtown, Belltown, Uptown, and South Lake Union. The proposed Land Use Code changes will provide greater flexibility in allowable uses of street-level commercial space and broaden the pool of eligible commercial tenants, further advancing efforts that create engaging, pedestrian-oriented street environments throughout the urban core.
Beginning this year, all proposed inverter-based Distributed Energy Resources (DER) must use inverters certified under Underwriters Laboratories (UL) 1741 Supplement B (Standard for Safety Inverters, Converters, Controllers and Interconnection System Equipment for Use with Distributed Energy Resources, Supplement B and labeled as UL1741-SB) and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1547-2018 (Standard for Interconnection Interoperability of Distributed Energy Resources with Associated Electric Power Systems Interfaces).
The Seattle construction codes are being updated to the 2021 code editions and include the building, residential, existing building, energy, mechanical, plumbing, fuel gas, wildland urban interface, and fire codes. The Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code is also being updated to the 2023 edition. The City of Seattle adopts the Seattle construction codes after Washington state adopts the state construction codes. The Washington state 2021 Construction Codes effective date is currently March 15, 2024. The target implementation date for the 2021 Seattle Construction Codes is delayed to no sooner than July 1, 2024, as we continue our City ordinance process.
Save the Date: Stormwater Code and Manual Update Listening Session
In preparation for the next Stormwater Code & Manual we are holding a virtual listening session for the development, building and design community. As one of the groups that uses these rules, we want to hear from you how we can improve the Stormwater Code & Manual so that there… [ Keep reading ]