Annual Performance Report Marks Key Milestone for Permit Reform Law

by MBAKS Government Affairs

Report reaffirms the need to improve housing permit timelines so housing can be available more quickly.

The Washington State Department of Commerce has published the first draft Annual Performance Report required by Senate Bill 5290.  The data reflects permits for which a decision was issued in 2024, before the current SB 5290 timelines went into effect. Performance is measured on the average duration it takes to process certain permits by category using calendar days.

The draft report shows where jurisdictions are falling short and reaffirms there is a long way to go to shorten review timelines, enabling housing to proceed more quickly.

Among the initial findings from the report are:

• Construction Permits on average took 81% longer to process than the statute.
• Preliminary Subdivision on average took 199% longer to process than the statute.
• Final Subdivision on average took 184% longer to process than the statute.

The report reinforces the need to reform and streamline the state’s outdated subdivision laws, a top legislative priority for MBAKS. This information is also important for our ongoing work with cities and counties to improve permit timelines. Having transparency in the permit processing data will help us to better identify roadblocks and work with jurisdictions to lower barriers to adding much needed housing.

Seven counties are subject to SB 5290’s annual reporting requirements, including Clark, King, Kitsap, Pierce, Snohomish, Thurston, and Whatcom.  

For more information on SB 5290 requirements, visit Commerce’s Local Project Review page

Administrative design review processes implemented due to COVID-19 are permitting housing faster. We should consider making them permanent.

Excerpt from design review document for Queen Anne mixed-use Safeway redevelopment

Washington state is experiencing an unprecedented shortfall of housing, coming short 225,000 homes between 2000–2015 to meet housing needs. The Puget Sound region is projected to add 1.8 million more people and 1.2 million more jobs by 2050, which means if we want to accommodate for growth, we cannot afford to stall building.

On April 27, 2020, Seattle City Council passed CB 119769. With COVID-19 rendering the usual community meetings unsafe and projects backing up in the pipeline, this emergency measure allowed projects subject to full design review to opt into administrative design review (ADR) instead.

Developers and builders could choose this expedited process or wait until the design review board resumed business. Under ADR, city staffers, rather than volunteer design review boards, had final approval. Public comments on projects continued through email in a 14-day window. Affordable housing projects were exempted altogether.

SDCI also implemented video or virtual inspections of approved projects, meaning that wait times for land use, permitting, and final inspections have also been streamlined as city staffers continue to work from home.

These streamlined methods meant to alleviate pressures during a health crisis show us that these same expedited processes can also help address our housing crisis.

We have the technology readily available for moving public comments and inspections onto virtual platforms, helping to mitigate costs and ultimately move affordable and missing middle housing through the pipeline faster.

What kind of benefits would a streamlined process produce?

More Affordable Housing

Unnecessary delays add up. The high cost of design review is passed down to renters and buyers alike and can have devastating consequences. Having proposals return for review and comment through multiple meetings, stalling construction for six months to two years, costs thousands of dollars for every month of delay. Multifamily projects that spend less time in design review ultimately end up being less expensive.

For an in-depth look: How Seattle’s Design Review Sabotages Housing Affordability, Dan Bertolet, Sightline Institute

More Housing Types

Exempting affordable housing projects frees up more time for city staff to look over other projects that sit in design review limbo for too long. On top of that, certain housing types, like townhouses and smaller multifamily buildings, could get faster approval processes or be exempted completely based on their size. More housing types means more housing choices means more housing for everyone.

Administrative design review shows us a glimpse of what could be an effective alternative, pending a more intensive design review overhaul in the city of Seattle. Cities looking to address rising housing costs and create efficient permitting processes could—and should—consider eliminating design review altogether.

We understand those concerned about not having a say in how their neighborhoods are designed. We know it’s important for neighbors to come together in shaping their communities. But it should not come at the expense of people having a safe and healthy place to call home.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nona Raybern, PR & Media Manager
Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties
p 425.457.7067
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Master Builders Association Inducts Todd Levitt as President

BELLEVUE, Wash—January 11, 2021—The Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS) inducted Todd Levitt as its 2021 president of the board of directors during a virtual passing of the gavel ceremony in December 2020.

Levitt brings an extensive background in homebuilding to his role as MBAKS president. He has worked for more than 19 years across four western states on the land side of homebuilding—13 years as vice president of land at Pulte Homes and six years at Murray Franklyn as director of entitlements and government affairs. Levitt received his bachelor's in marine engineering from the United States Merchant Marine Academy and his master's in finance from California State University, Los Angeles.

Levitt set the 2021 MBAKS agenda as one of service: to the communities that homebuilders work in, to the jurisdictions that make housing policy possible, and to the association’s members and staff.

“Service is something I am very passionate about that is engrained within me,” says Levitt. “If we can serve our jurisdictions in a way that helps them be more successful with their councils, staff, and residents, this should only help us in accomplishing our goals in delivering more housing that is desperately needed in our very fast-growing region.”

Over the last four years, Levitt has performed as the service chair for his son’s Boy Scout troop, where he has organized community events like canned food drives, trail clean-ups, and Santa Scouts, a program that generates food, clothing, and games for underserved children. He also has dedicated time and resources to Habitat for Humanity and helped Doxa Housing build homes in Mexico, as well as participating in MBAKS’ Rampathon, where accessibility ramps are built for those in critical need.

The newly inducted 2021 board of directors is rounded out with First Vice President Cameron McKinnon (Gamut360 Holdings), Second Vice President Traci Tenhulzen (Tenhulzen Residential), Secretary Luellen Smith (Rhino Wine Cellars & Cooling Systems), and Immediate Past President Brian Holtzclaw (Village Life).

About MBAKS

Founded in 1909 and headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS) is the nation’s oldest and largest local homebuilders association. Like our founders, our members continue to take a leading role in all facets of homebuilding and support the planning for a growing, thriving, and inclusive region.