Backyard Box Blog

August 4, 2010

Seattle Backyard Cottage Guide from DPD

Posted by Sloan, 10:24 am

DPD and the City of Seattle have released the latest guide on building a backyard cottage on your property.  The information page is located HERE.  The entire guide is fifty pages and located here (very large file 7+ MEGs).  It contains detailed information on what can be built and how to go about getting it done at the city, what all the requirements are, etc.  You can build your own backyard cottage, or you can simply call Backyard Box, and we will do it all for you and simply hand the keys over at completion.

The release text is here:

Updated Backyard Cottage Guide Released

Planning Commission and DPD create user guide for Seattle homeowners

SEATTLE – The Planning Commission and the Department of Planning and development have released an updated version of their incredibly successful A Guide to Building a Backyard Cottage which helps a homeowner successfully design and build a backyard cottage.  The Guide now reflects the December 2009 legislation allowing backyard cottages citywide.  The new guide is available at: www.seattle.gov/dpd/backyardcottage

“Because the guide has been so influential we have updated it to reflect the changes in the citywide legislation,” stated Josh Brower, Planning Commission Chair, “we also see this guide as a celebration of an important piece of legislation that provides a valuable opportunity for housing choice in Seattle.”

Since the legislation passed Seattle has received national and local attention including;

·         National press coverage from USA Today, with a cover story “Seattle’s Backyard Cottages Make a Dent in Housing Need.”   The article ran on May 26th and featured backyard cottage owners, as well as city staff and elected officials.  The article, and accompanying online video, can be viewed at http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/housing/2010-05-25-cottages_N.htm

·         A local design challenge for backyard cottages that highlighted the creativity and flexibility of backyard cottage design.  Planning Commissioner David Cutler served as one of the judges.  All of the entries and winners can be viewed here: www.methodhomes.net/backyard-cottage-design-challenge.html.

·         A cottage industry of small architectural firms dedicating their practice to developing designs for backyard cottages.  Backyard cottages have provided an important economic development opportunity in these challenging times.  Here is just a very small sampling of the press on the backyard cottage industry sprouting up in Seattle;

o    http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/07/worlds-smallest-houses-turn-heads/1

o    http://tinyhouseblog.com/tiny-house/seattle-backyard-cottages/

o    http://blog.seattlepi.com/greenbuilding/archives/195283.asp

o    http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2012435168_grannypod25.html

o    http://westseattleblog.com/2010/08/ncompass-cottage-company-welcoming-a-new-wsb-sponsor

In addition, 32 permits have been filed for backyard cottages in neighborhoods throughout the City since December 2009.  That brings the total number of backyard cottage permits to approximately 60, and the Guide to Building Backyard Cottages has proven to be an important and effective tool for educating the public on how to build quality backyard cottages.