How to Request a Code Interpretation
What Is It?
Code interpretations are formal decisions on the meaning, application, or intent of any development regulation in our Land Use or Environmentally Critical Areas codes. Interpretations are site-specific. They do not address how a standard applies in general, but rather how it applies to a specific site or development proposal. They do not address procedural provisions or statements of policy in the code.
You can request an interpretation:
- That is not related to a pending project
- That is related to a pending project
- That is related to a pending project that is subject to appeal
If you want to request an interpretation for a project subject to appeal, you must either submit your request during the public comment period for the project or as part of an appeal.
Examples of code interpretations include:
- How structure height or setback is properly measured
- How a proposed use should be categorized
- Verification of an environmentally critical area on a site
If you do not request an interpretation, you may not be able to raise the issue on an appeal of the project.
See Tip 256, Land Use code Interpretations, for more information about interpretations and related timing issues.
How Much Does It Cost?
The initial fee for an interpretation is 10 times the hourly rate set for land use review in our Fee Subtitle. If you appeal an interpretation to the Hearing Examiner, we will also bill for any hours over the 10-hour minimum for the time we spend defending our interpretation. We may require separate interpretations, with separate initial fees, for requests with more than one question. Depending on how long it takes us, we may charge you for more than the initial fee.
How Long Does It Take?
If your interpretation request is not related to a project or is related to a project not subject to an appeal, we can usually publish our interpretation within 6 weeks. We may require more time for complex issues.
If your interpretation request is related to a project that is subject to appeal, we will publish our interpretation when we publish our project decision.
How to Request an Interpretation
You can request an interpretation:
- That is not related to any pending project application at any time.
- During the official comment period for a specific land use project. You must submit your request before 5:00 p.m. on the day the comment period, or extended comment period, ends.
- As part of an appeal after we publish a decision, during the appeal period. You must submit your request before 5:00 p.m. on the day the appeal period ends.
To request an interpretation:
- You must submit a Land Use Analysis request (under Permits - Trade, Construction & Land Use) through the Seattle Services Portal
- You will need to complete and upload the Statement of Financial Responsibility form as part of your application
- You will need to pay the required fees when you submit your for us to begin our review of the code interpretation
For interpretation assistance, Send Us a Question through our Q&A tool.