City of Shoreline
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Frequently Asked Questions
General:
Expand/Contract Questions and Answers
You can use our online permit search tool. If you have not received a Determination of Complete Application, your application is still in the processing queue and will not be available online yet. It may take a few weeks for new applications to be processed and show up in the online portal. If you cannot find your permit online after receiving the Determination of Complete Application, you may call (206) 801-2500 for a status update. Please have your application number or address available.
Where can I obtain general information about land use, long range planning and building regulations?
Our online resources can help the public research our regulations such as
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Online Property Information Interactive Map which can help identify zoning, known environmental critical areas, and Comprehensive Plan designations
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The City of Shoreline has multiple codes governing development:
- The Shoreline Development Code regulates zoning and land use.
- The Engineering Development Manual regulates the City’s streets and how properties connect to them
- The Comprehensive Plan and Master Plans provide the community’s direction on issues such as parks, transportation, shoreline uses, and the future plan for the City.
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The City has other plans for the various campuses within city limits as well as subarea plans. Subarea plans are neighborhood scale plans that layout how the area will be developed over time.
We encourage you to review these plans and call or email with any questions at (206) 801-2500 or email pcd@shorelinewa.gov to speak with a planner, plans examiner or permit technician who can assist you with your questions.
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- Notices of Application for large or environmentally critical projects are printed in the Seattle Times, are posted at the project site, and are downloadable from the Land Use Action and Planning Notices webpage. These notices describe the project, address, contact person and the deadline for submitting comments. Information on long-range planning projects can be found on the Planning Projects webpage. Call (206) 801-2500 for more information.
The Development Code is Title 20 of the Shoreline Municipal Code. A copy may be purchased from Code Publishing, Inc., located at 9410 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle WA 98155, telephone (206) 527-6831 or (800) 551-2633. You may also download PDFs of specific sections of the code using Code Publishing's website.
You can access the current Comprehensive Plan online. Hard-copies are also available for review in the office of Planning & Community Development.
Both the land use and zoning maps can be downloaded for free as a PDF from the GIS page. 11x17" color hard-copies are also provided in the Planning & Community Development office.
A city business license is required for doing business in the City of Shoreline. Businesses must comply with the Shoreline Development Code (SMC 20.40.400) and building code regulations. To apply for a business license contact Washington State Department of Licensing or call (360) 664-1400.
For more information, visit the City Clerk's web page on Business Licenses or download our Home Business/Occupation Handout.
Please report all suspected code violations to the Customer Response Team (CRT) at (206) 801-2260. CRT will either resolve the problem or refer it the appropriate department. For additional information, visit the Code Enforcement page.
- Accessory Dwelling Units are allowed in all zones subject to specific criteria in SMC 20.40.210, and compliance with your property's underlying zoning. Please look at the City's ADU handout. Contact a planner for assistance with your property or project.
- Tree cutting within the City is a regulated activity that often requires a permit. Please review the City's Tree Regulations for Private Property handout. Trees on public property (in the Right-of-Way, lining the street/sidewalk) are regulated differently, please contact the City's Public Works department. Please use our handout to obtain information about the tree such as the location, diameter/circumference, and pictures (if you believe you may qualify for an exemption) and have that information available when contacting PCD by phone (206) 801-2500 or at pcd@shorelinewa.gov.
The Planning and Community Development Department receives many calls and emails every day. If you are directed to a voicemail, please leave a detailed message with the following information:
- Your Name
- Your Phone Number/Email
- Your property address
- Your permit/project number (if you have one)
- Your specific question (this helps us research in advance of replying)
This allows us to have the proper information to return your call/email, research and have your answer ready to give to you/leave a voicemail, or forward to another department if the incorrect number/email was contacted. Response times can vary and may take a few days. You can also email inquiries to pcd@shorelinewa.gov – please include the information listed above.
Short Plat:
Expand/Contract Questions and Answers
The City of Shoreline’s regulations allow for multiple dwelling units on one lot without subdivision. No public notice is required for Type A applications (SMC 20.30.040), which include building and site development permits. These are non-discretionary permits – if the proposal meets the City’s adopted code requirements, then they are approved.
If you’re receiving this notice after construction has begun, it means the developer originally pursued a development with multiple dwelling units on one lot, but later decided to subdivide. Permits for multiple buildings on one lot do not require notification, but subdivisions do.
I love/hate this proposal and want to provide comments, how can I provide effective comments that influence the decision made?
Subdivisions are reviewed in accordance with the criteria listed in SMC 20.30.410.B. For short plats, decisions are ultimately made by the director of Planning & Community Development. For formal plats, decisions will be made at a public hearing, and additional notice will be sent out prior to that hearing date.
Effective comments are those which are specific to the development and explain why you hate/love the proposal. For example, it is not effective to say that you dislike all development and change, but it is effective to identify concerns you have about specific trees to be retained or removed on the site, or to cite concerns about traffic impacts on your road.
Effective comments may influence decisions about the proposal, or could result in conditions added to the proposal. However, the decision is ultimately made in accordance with the criteria listed in the City’s code.
- Notices are mailed to property owners and residents within 500 feet of the subject property/properties. Sometimes this results in one property owner receiving a notice, but not their neighbor, depending on the 500-foot radius area.
“Platting” is the process used to subdivide land. Subdivisions are a two-part process, starting with a preliminary plat and finishing with a final plat. There are two types of subdivisions, short (nine lots and fewer), and formal/long (ten lots and more).
- Preliminary Short Plats are a Type B application (SMC 20.30.050), an administrative application, and involve public notification. Decisions are made administratively by the director of Planning & Community Development.
- Preliminary Formal Plats are a Type C application (SMC 20.30.060), a quasi-judicial application, and involve public notification. There are public meetings before both the City’s Hearing Examiner and the City Council, including a public hearing before the Hearing Examiner.
- Both Final Short Plats and Final Formal Plats are a Type A application (SMC 20.30.040) and do not involve public notification.