Public Notification and SEPA Process

• Public Notices Required
• Comments to SEPA Threshold Determinations
• Appeals to SEPA and Land Use Decisions
• Becoming a Party of Record

Public Notices Required

Applicants applying for actions or permit types described in KCC 20.20 are required to provide public notification. The State Environmental Policy Act of 1972 (SEPA) also requires public notification of environmental threshold determinations (TD) for these applications and other actions. For more information about SEPA requirements, check out DDES Customer Information Bulletin #26 or visit the Department of Ecology's Web page for SEPA rules (external link) for notification and related documents.

Comments or Appeals on a SEPA Determinations

Any interested person may submit written comments or may appeal the above determination(s) according to KCC Title 20. Written comments may be made at anytime and should be addressed the King County Department of Development and Environmental Services. However, comments on the scope of any project or required environmental impact statement need to be submitted (in writing only) for twenty-one (21) days following the determination posting date in order to be officially accepted as part of the project's record.

Appealing a Decision

Appeals to any threshold determination or decision must be received in the King County Department of Development and Environmental Services at the time stated in each individual determination or decision. ALL APPEALS MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY A NONREFUNDABLE $250 FILING FEE.

The appeal must state the perceived errors in the threshold determination, specific reasons why the determination should be reversed or modified, the harm the appellant will suffer if the threshold determination remains unchanged, and the desired outcome of the appeal. If the appellant is a group, the harm to any one or more members must be stated. Failure to meet these requirements may result in dismissal of the appeal.

Written comments or appeals should be addressed or delivered to:

King County DDES

900 Oakesdale Avenue SW

Renton, WA 98055-1219

ATTN: LAND USE SERVICES DIVISION, CURRENT PLANNING SECTION

Becoming a Party of Record

Any person interested in receiving further information related to the environmental reviews of development proposals, such as notice information of SEPA appeals, should contact the Land Use Services Division at 206-296-6600 and ask to be made a Party of Record. All requests need to include the file name and file number of the proposal, along with the name and complete mailing address of the requester.

****PLEASE REFERENCE THE FILE NUMBER(S) WHEN CORRESPONDING****

Updated: December 28, 2004