Seattle’s design review process has been on a hold for about a month now due distancing measures to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. Today, Mayor Jenny Durkan unveiled a work around to keep projects advancing so that the housing pipeline does not dry up, punctuating this crisis with another.
The Mayor released a draft of the emergency legislation that would permit design review to be conducted electronically by waiving the in-person meeting requirement for a six-month period. Since setting up virtual design review will take time, the bill also shifts projects facing full design review (before the volunteer boards) to administrative review, which is conducted by Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI). Without the change, design review meetings were simply being postponed in hopes the risk of virus spread would dissipate.
Seattle City Councilmember Dan Strauss, who chairs the land use committee, issued a supportive statement in the mayor’s press release.
“Seattle’s need for more housing, especially affordable housing, was felt before the coronavirus crisis, and is more critical than ever for families suffering from the economic impacts of this health crisis,” Councilmember Strauss said. “I’m grateful our City staff is finding creative ways to ensure construction on important housing projects can continue.”
