New rule for community outreach ahead of design review

A new Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections director’s rule requiring development projects going through streamline, administrative or full design review to prepare a community outreach plan takes effect July 1.

SDCI director Nathan Torgelson introduced, and the city council has approved, the new rule, which will require developers to provide early outreach to communities where they will be constructing new projects and to document their compliance with the rule.

Any projects submitted for early design guidance before July 1 will not be required to comply with the new rule.

Design applicants will be required to submit the project address and contact information to the Department of Neighborhoods, which will post that information in public location, according to the SDCI rule.

Outreach must be conducted no more than one year in advance of submitting for early design guidance, according to the rule, and an outreach plan must printed, digital and in-person methods.

The procedures and requirements in this rule will be evaluated after it has been in effect for one year. The full rule can be read here.

There will be an information session on the new rule 4-5 p.m. Wednesday, June 20, on the 19th floor of Seattle Municipal Tower, 700 Fifth Ave.

For those who can’t attend, there will be two Reddit AMA sessions this summer. One will be noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday, July 10, and the other 8-9 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 14.