Brett Santoff, chair of the Urban Design Board, told the IPS committee on Oct. 8 that the board — formed by council action in May 2024 and first meeting in January — has held orientation, walking tours and concept design reviews for two projects that triggered urban design project review.

“Urban design project review is limited to certain geographical areas of the city, downtown, Tacoma Mall or mixed-use centers,” Santoff said. The board has seven members with professional and community representation. The board’s responsibilities include a concept-level review (publicly noticed) and a subsequent final review; both projects that completed concept review in May and June are scheduled for final review next week.

Santoff said the design-review process is intended to provide early, constructive guidance so applicants refine designs before heavy permitting steps begin. “That concept level review is the heavier lift for the applicant, and that is also the one opportunity that the public has to see those materials and comment,” Santoff said. Board members and staff said they send postcards to a 400-foot radius around sites, place signs on project sites and send notices to an interested-party mailing list to ensure adjacent neighbors and neighborhood councils are informed.

Board members also described a departures process that lets applicants propose alternatives to specific standards where site conditions justify flexibility. The board and staff said early feedback has helped applicants refine proposals and reduced back-and-forth during building and site-permit reviews.

The two projects discussed had the same developer but different design teams; concept reviews happened in May and June and both are returning for final review in October. Staff said one project submitted its site-development permit materials while the design-review process continued, and the board is coordinating with permit reviewers to ensure the board’s guidance is reflected in permit compliance.

No formal action by IPS was required; the Urban Design Board is required by its code to provide an annual report to council and will return to present as its first-year work is completed.