Tips on whom to call at Seattle's Department of Planning and Development (DPD)

DPD planners are divided into a north and south team. All the planners are responsible for meeting certain permit deadlines which will be monitored by the Production Supervisor for each team. The Production Supervisor does not do any project review but instead only monitors compliance with turnaround times established by the Department. Therefore, if you have a concern about not getting telephone calls back from a planner, or a planner is not producing correction notices or decisions on time, feel free to contact the Production Supervisor for that planner's team.

Each team also has a Technical Supervisor. The Technical Supervisor assists the planner with substantive code issues. Therefore, if you have a concern with how a planner is handling a substantive code matter, and you wish to take that up the chain of review, start with the Technical Supervisor for that team.

Key supervisors are listed below. Their phone number, e-mail, and mailing address can be accessed on the City's website at: www.seattle.gov (click on Staff Directory at the bottom of the homepage).

• Production Supervisor:  Bob McElhose
• Technical Supervisor North:  Molly Hurley
• Technical Supervisor South:  Jerry Suder

If the supervisor's answer is not satisfactory, you may request review of the issue by contacting the appropriate Land Use manager in writing.  DPD endeavors to respond in writing within two weeks of a request, unless additional time is needed to research the issue.

• For process and production related issues, contact Roberta Baker, Manager
• For technical and policy code issues, contact Cliff Portman, Principal Planner

We hope that this information is helpful to you in your efforts to navigate the bureaucracy. As always, if the need arises, we are available to assist you with permit processing.

For More Information Contact: Melody B. McCutcheon.