Our City Code offers incentives to encourage building projects that demonstrate a reduced environmental impact. These code incentives include reductions to required stormwater and transportation fees, reductions to required on-site parking spaces and additional building floor area. Also, the Building Code allows for alternate building materials, which encourages new technologies often connected with green building innovations.
Citywide Incentives
The Storm and Surface Water Utility offers stormwater fee reductions by allowing the reclassification of properties to the next lower development intensity classification if the property demonstrates a hydrological response substantially similar to that next lower classification per Ordinance 6442. Otherwise, Low Impact Development Best Management Practices are required by the State Department of Ecology and implemented via the Utilities Code.
Transportation impact fees can be reduced if projects demonstrate a reduced trip rate compared to the prescribed rate for the site and propose a custom trip rate or project-specific trip rate per Transportation Impact Fee Program Code 22.16.080.D.
The Building Code allows for alternative materials, designs and methods of construction and equipment not specifically prescribed if the alternative is at least equivalent in quality, strength, effectiveness, fire resistance, durability and safety to that prescribed per 23.05.080.K. This code section does not require that the alternate material show a reduced environmental impact but gives builders the flexibility to use more experimental materials to build more sustainably.
- Stormwater Fee Reductions
- Transportation Impact Fee Reductions
- Building Code Flexibly for Alternates