On the evening of Monday, May 4, DPD will hold a public meeting on the project to expand Administrative Design Review to cover more townhouses. This is the second public meeting on the topic. Staff will present a recommendation for the format and process of Administrative Design Review for townhouses. Public comments on the proposal are welcomed. The meeting will be held in the Bertha Knight Landes room of Seattle City Hall, 600 4th Avenue. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. A presentation will begin at 6:00 p.m., followed by an opportunity for comments, questions and discussion. We hope you can join us.

In order to improve the design and variety of townhouses in Seattle, Mayor Nickels directed DPD to create an Administrative Design Review process for townhouses in conjunction with the adoption of a Multifamily Code Update. This project will extend Design Review to cover more townhouses in order to raise the overall quality of townhouse design—without adding significantly to project cost or affordability.

Design Review is a successful City program that encourages compatibility of development projects in neighborhoods, and improves communication between the public, City and developers. Currently, most townhouses do not undergo Design Review. The recommended approach is to apply a streamlined Administrative Design Review process for a better fit with the scale of townhouse projects. Administrative Design Review is a process in which DPD staff review and approve applications that are below the threshold of what goes before the Design Review boards.

For further information please see the website: www.seattle.gov/dpd/Planning/TownhouseReview/Overview, or contact:

Geoffrey Wentlandt
(206) 684-3586
geoffrey.wentlandt@seattle.gov