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

DPD planners are divided into a north and south team. However, all of 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 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 not producing correction notices or decisions on time we are to 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 we start with the Technical Supervisor for that team.

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

Production Supervisor North:............................................ Bob McElhose

Technical Supervisor North:............................................. Cheryl Waldman

Production Supervisor South:........................................... Janet Oslund

Technical Supervisor South:............................................. Jerry Suder

If the supervisor's answer is one that we continue to disagree with, then we may request review of the issue by contacting in writing the appropriate Land Use manager.  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 Sandy Howard, 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.

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