New Electrical Code Effective June 6, 2009 
On May 6, 2009, Mayor Nickels signed into law an ordinance adopting the 2008 National Electrical Code (NEC) with Seattle amendments. The effective date for the new code is June 6 and after this date, applications for electrical permits will be subject to the requirements of the 2008 NEC and Seattle amendments.

Electrical projects related to a Seattle building permit will be regulated by the electrical code that was in effect on the date the building permit application was submitted.

Every three years the National Electrical Code is updated. Seattle then reviews and adopts the NEC with state and local amendments. The Seattle Electrical Code Supplement and National Electrical Code will be available the week of May 26 at DPD’s Public Resource Center on the 20th floor of the Seattle Municipal Tower. For information regarding the availability of publications at DPD, please call (206) 684-8467. The code will also be available online on the DPD codes web page. 

DPD staff suggests that if users of the electrical code have not attended a 2008 National Electrical Code Update class, they should do so at their earliest convenience.

The new electrical code takes effect on June 6, 2009.

Ribbon Cutting Event at Thornton Place on June 6
After nearly 50 years underground, water is flowing through a landscaped channel at Thornton Place in the Northgate neighborhood. Join us for a celebration of the Thornton Creek Water Quality Channel and the completion of Thornton Place. 

On Saturday, June 6, there will be a ribbon cutting event that starts at noon to 4 p.m. There will be remarks from Mayor Greg Nickels, City Council President Richard Conlin, Thornton Place Representatives and a Community Member at 1 p.m.

There will be live music, tasty food and treats from Thornton Place Restaurants, kids' activities and educational experiences with the Homewaters Project. There will also be tours of the Water Quality Channel, Thornton Place homes and plaza and EraLiving's Aljoya.

Thornton Place is located between NE 103rd and NE 100th Street and 3rd Avenue NE and 5th Avenue NE. Just south of the Northgate Mall.

For more information, please visit the DPD Thornton Place website.

The ribbon cutting event takes place on Saturday, June 6 from noon to 4 p.m.

Publication Updates

Client Assistance Memos (CAMs)

• Updated: CAM 314, Seattle Building Code Requirements for Existing Buildings that Undergo Substantial Alterations, was updated to be consistent with the 2006 Building Code and DR 7-2009. 
• New: CAM 411, Natural Ventilation, discusses natural ventilation and the use of a building’s form, organization, and openings in conjunction with naturally occurring phenomenon, to supply air to its occupants and to remove heat from both the occupants and the building. (See more info below).

Director's Rules

• Draft: DR 10-2009, Small Diameter Pipe Piles (Pin Piles, establishes consistency in the level of involvement with design professionals and in the quality of installation and inspections for pipe piles with diameters less than eight inches. Written comments on the proposed adoption may be submitted through June 9, 2009. For more information, contact Tanya Elder, (206) 615-1639.
• Final: DR 20-2008, Pike & Pine Streetscape Conceptual Design, is a preferred design for streetscape improvements on Pike and Pine Streets from 1st to 4th Ave that can be implemented over time by adjacent property owners or direct capital investment.

See DPD's latest publication updates.

New Green Building Publication on Natural Ventilation

What is Natural Ventilation?

Natural ventilation is the use of a building’s form, organization, and openings in conjunction with naturally occurring phenomenon, such as the wind or warm air buoyancy, to supply air to its occupants and to remove heat from both the occupants and the building. Forms of natural ventilation activated by the forces of gravity are called stack ventilation. Wind-driven systems are referred to as cross ventilation. Natural ventilation is used for:

• Supplying breathing air for occupants
• Reducing odors and pollutants
• Cooling people by moving air across skin
• Removing internal heat gains
• Cooling thermal mass at night to precool buildings for the next day

Why Should Buildings be Naturally Ventilated?

• To reduce operating costs by decreasing or eliminating the power used to mechanically ventilate and cool.
• To reduce construction costs by allowing the downsizing or elimination of cooling equipment.
• To reduce building energy use and thereby reduce the environmental impact caused by power generation.
• To potentially increase the productivity of building occupants due to real or perceived improvements in the indoor environment.

Types of Natural Ventilation

Systems that primarily rely on gravity are called stack ventilation. Stack ventilation through a space is a function of the vertical distance between inlets and outlets, their size, and the temperature difference between the outside air and the average temperature in the stack. Wind-driven systems are referred to as cross ventilation. Cross ventilation airflow through a space is dependent on opening size, wind speed and direction, building shape, and opening location. 

Cross and stack ventilation can work together. If the inlets for stack ventilation correspond to the high-pressure zones and the outlets to the low-pressure zones, then wind will assist the stack ventilation. View the entire CAM 411, Natural Ventilation. 

Check out CAM 411, Natural Ventilation.

Submit Your Question to a Land Use Planner Online
Have a land use question? The DPD Land Use Q&A service is intended to provide helpful information and answers to your land use questions. Because answers to many questions can easily be found with the online resources DPD provides, we encourage customers to research our Web site first. Often, you will find answers to your questions immediately so that you can continue with planning your project without waiting for a response. To submit a question to a land use planner, please visit the DPD Land Use Q&A. 

For specific land use questions on sites proposed for development or for complex questions, we recommend that applicants visit the ASC and speak with a land use planner in person. The more you know about your specific property and situation before you arrive, the quicker your visit will likely be. Wait times to speak with a land use planner in the ASC can be an hour or more during peak hours (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.). DPD provides free wireless Internet access and self-serve computers to make your wait more productive.