Administrative design review processes implemented due to COVID-19 are permitting housing faster. We should consider making them permanent.

Excerpt from design review document for Queen Anne mixed-use Safeway redevelopment

Washington state is experiencing an unprecedented shortfall of housing, coming short 225,000 homes between 2000–2015 to meet housing needs. The Puget Sound region is projected to add 1.8 million more people and 1.2 million more jobs by 2050, which means if we want to accommodate for growth, we cannot afford to stall building.

On April 27, 2020, Seattle City Council passed CB 119769. With COVID-19 rendering the usual community meetings unsafe and projects backing up in the pipeline, this emergency measure allowed projects subject to full design review to opt into administrative design review (ADR) instead.

Developers and builders could choose this expedited process or wait until the design review board resumed business. Under ADR, city staffers, rather than volunteer design review boards, had final approval. Public comments on projects continued through email in a 14-day window. Affordable housing projects were exempted altogether.

SDCI also implemented video or virtual inspections of approved projects, meaning that wait times for land use, permitting, and final inspections have also been streamlined as city staffers continue to work from home.

These streamlined methods meant to alleviate pressures during a health crisis show us that these same expedited processes can also help address our housing crisis.

We have the technology readily available for moving public comments and inspections onto virtual platforms, helping to mitigate costs and ultimately move affordable and missing middle housing through the pipeline faster.

What kind of benefits would a streamlined process produce?

More Affordable Housing

Unnecessary delays add up. The high cost of design review is passed down to renters and buyers alike and can have devastating consequences. Having proposals return for review and comment through multiple meetings, stalling construction for six months to two years, costs thousands of dollars for every month of delay. Multifamily projects that spend less time in design review ultimately end up being less expensive.

For an in-depth look: How Seattle’s Design Review Sabotages Housing Affordability, Dan Bertolet, Sightline Institute

More Housing Types

Exempting affordable housing projects frees up more time for city staff to look over other projects that sit in design review limbo for too long. On top of that, certain housing types, like townhouses and smaller multifamily buildings, could get faster approval processes or be exempted completely based on their size. More housing types means more housing choices means more housing for everyone.

Administrative design review shows us a glimpse of what could be an effective alternative, pending a more intensive design review overhaul in the city of Seattle. Cities looking to address rising housing costs and create efficient permitting processes could—and should—consider eliminating design review altogether.

We understand those concerned about not having a say in how their neighborhoods are designed. We know it’s important for neighbors to come together in shaping their communities. But it should not come at the expense of people having a safe and healthy place to call home.

Contact:
Stephanie Giralmo, Public Relations & Media Manager
Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties
p 425.457.7067

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MBAKS Gives Local Charity a Fresh Coat of Paint

KENT, WA—Since 2003, the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS) has painted hundreds of thousands of square feet for various service organizations through our Painting a Better Tomorrow (PBT) community stewardship program. PBT is a one-day event that brings MBAKS members and community volunteers together to paint a local service organization’s facility.

“Frequently, the first maintenance item to be removed off an operational budget is painting, so many of our recipients have gone years without this much-needed improvement,” stated MBAKS Interim Executive Director Jerry Hall. “The Painting a Better Tomorrow program allows us to give back to the community by helping create a welcoming space for the communities that they serve.”

This year MBAKS selected King County non-profit Valley Cities Behavioral Health Care as their 2022 partner. Valley Cities provides case management, vocational training, housing support, peer support, crisis support and a wide variety of other support services to meet the unique needs of each. Valley Cities serves more than 20,000 people each year through intensive behavioral health care, counseling, and support services.

"It's important to make our clients feel like our space is welcoming, soothing, and calming so they feel safe enough to access care,” said Kent Clinic Manager, Jessica Forshee. “That's exactly why we looked for programs and grants to create spaces of belonging."

Programs like these would not be possible without the help from our sponsors. Thank you to our signature sponsor ERNWest for their support throughout the years.

About MBAKS

Founded in 1909 and headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS) is the nation’s oldest and largest local homebuilders’ association. Like our founders, our members continue to take a leading role in all facets of homebuilding and support the planning for a growing region. From new technology to advances in sustainability, from collaborative public policy efforts to investing in our communities, our commitment to a thriving, inclusive and well-planned region never wavers. We are the professional homebuilders, architects, remodelers, tradespeople (carpenters, framers, roofers, plumbers, electricians), planners and engineers, suppliers, manufacturers, and sales and marketing professionals in your community who believe everyone deserves access to a healthy and productive place to call home.

About Valley Cities Behavioral Health Care

Established by community members of South King County in 1965, Valley Cities Behavioral Health Care has provided behavioral health care services to people of all ages for over 50 years. Through the ongoing support of the community, Valley Cities delivers compassionate care to over 20,000 individuals at 10 outpatient clinics, 2 inpatient detox centers, and 1 Cohen Military Family clinic. Valley Cities offers licensed mental health counseling and substance use disorder treatment; homeless outreach services and housing programs; and specialized services that deliver counseling and family support to veterans and their families. Throughout their long history, Valley Cities has remained focused on helping families and individuals by delivering a continuum of services designed to maximize client potential and success. Their work is founded on their unwavering belief in the resiliency and strength of the human spirit. That, with help, people can and do overcome the barriers and obstacles that confront them.

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Shannon talks to Jenny Steiner, Builders Interiors, about her company and how their MBA membership helps them continue to grow.

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