Anyone can comment on a proposed land use action—residents, students, employees, business owners, and anyone who would be affected. Because you have a unique knowlege of the area where you live and work, we want to hear from you about what effects a project might have.  You may not be an expert in planning, design or development, but the history or other perceptions you provide can help produce a safer, more livable and sustainable environment. 

DPD collects comments in order to identify potential problems and find workable solutions within the legal limits established by Seattle's Land Use Code.  DPD can only consider comments that are relevant to the applicable criteria and policies and related to the specific project. 

To learn what comments are considered, tips for effective comments, and how to submit a comment, visit How to Comment.

Can You Make a Difference?
You bet you can. Neighbors who had witnessed past dumping on a vacant lot helped to identify and avoid a potential problem on a new housing proposal. Several developers have reported that comments really helped them to improve their projects, and were grateful for the input from neighbors through the Design Review process. Community comments on more than one project have prompted the proponent to return to the drawing board and propose modifications or a completely new plan that responded to concerns raised.

The number of comments is not what matters. DPD is not empowered to take general votes or polls on development projects. What makes a difference are comments that are directly related to the specific project, that recognize how much of a problem is caused by that project, and that propose reasonable solutions for consideration.