Seattle committee hears industry calls to speed permitting, reopen service desk and microfilm library

Seattle City Council’s Governance, Accountability and Economic Development Committee convened a roundtable Feb. 13 to hear architects, engineers, neighborhood leaders and small-business owners describe persistent delays and unpredictable requirements in the city’s building permitting process.

Committee President Sarah Nelson said the discussion is intended to help the council exercise oversight and to push on recommendations from a 2023 Office of the City Auditor report that found the city’s construction permitting “needs more customer focus and consistency.”

The meeting assembled private design professionals and neighborhood partners to describe where the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI) and other departments could improve customer service and predictability for homeowners, tenants and small commercial projects. Speakers gave concrete examples — from microfilm plan archives closed to the public to mid-review staff replacements that halted projects — and proposed short-term fixes (reopen in-person services, publish internal policies) alongside longer-term process changes (a standing work group and clearer rules for when tenant work triggers building-wide upgrades).

Design professionals said the end of the SDCI in-person service desk during the pandemic removed an important informal coaching channel. Architect Jim Graham said the desk allowed staff and applicants to look at drawings together and resolve questions immediately. “Reopening the service desk for in-person Q&A,…