Sustainability Resources for Multifamily Housing

Priority Green Expedited: Faster building permit review and processing for projects that meet green building standards.
Priority Green Facilitated: Streamlined permitting for master use permits for projects that meeting green building standards.
Innovation Advisory Committee: This group of experts will review energy-efficient proposals not covered in the technical codes.
Living Building Pilot: Allows requests for departures from the Seattle Land Use Code through Design Review and offers height and floor area incentives for projects attempting to meet the Living Building Challenge.
Residential Deconstruction: For housing removal, a residential deconstruction permit allows the process to begin before a new building permit for the site is issued. (Deconstruction is taking apart a building in order to save the maximum amount of reusable building materials.)
Zoning Incentives: Provides greater floor area and/or height in certain zones in exchange for meeting green building standards.  The standards are set by Director’s Rule.

Green Expedited: Built Green 4-Star or higher; LEED Gold; PHIUS; Living Building Challenge Petal Recognition; Net Zero Energy Building; Seattle Department of Construction & Inspection Alternative Path AND ≥15% less energy than Seattle Energy Code.Living Building Challenge Petal Recognition or Net Zero Energy Building; OR Seattle Department of Construction and Inspection (SDCI) Alternative Path and at least 15% less energy than Seattle Energy Code (SEC)
Green Facilitated: See Priority Green Expedited, plus Architecture 2030 Challenge for Planning, Built 5-Star, LEED Platinum
Living Building Pilot: Living Building Challenge Certification or Petal Recognition Certification AND Seattle energy and water requirements
Zoning Incentives: Refer toDirector’s Rule 20-2017 Green Building Standard

Expedited permitting for green building certification; Stormwater Infiltration Incentive Service charge discounts for developed parcels that infiltrate runoff in a private site stormwater infiltration facility.

Built Green 5-Star; LEED Gold.

Expedited permitting for green building certification

Built Green 4-Star or higher; LEED Silver or higher.

Expedited permitting for green building certification; Unit Type Flexibility; Lot Size Reduction; Density Bonus

Built Green 4-Star or higher; LEED Silver or higher.

Expedited permitting and fee waivers or reductions based on project-specific analysis; Departures from Development Code standards for projects to meet certification requirements

Tier 1 – International Building Challenge; Living Community Challenge.
Tier 2 – International Building Challenge Petal Recognition;  Built Green Emerald Star.
Tier 3 – LEED Platinum; Built Green 5-star; International Building Challenge Net Zero Energy Building AND Salmon Safe.

$300 per certified multifamily unit 20% above WSEC

Built Green 4-Star or higher; Living Building Challenge; LEED Gold or Platinum; Living Building Challenge Net Zero Energy Building; PHIUS.

Building components that exceed Seattle Energy Code; LEED certified buildings; Townhouse $1,500 per unit rebate

Building Components: New construction multifamily buildings exceeding Seattle Energy Code
LEED Incentives: LEED Certification with energy model showing electric savings (>14% beyond ASHRAE 90.1).
Townhouse: Built Green 4-star or better, uses DHP as the primary heat source.

$1,000 per unit (multifamily and single-family)

Built Green 3-Star or higher AND EPA WaterSense New Homes certification