Seattle’s Northwest Design Review Board is looking for a new community representative to help the board vet new developments in the northwest sector of the city. Applications are due Dec. 9. The two-year volunteer term starts on April 4, 2012.
Board members are appointed by the Mayor and City Council and serve two-year terms. Members serve on one of seven boards that review projects in the city’s major geographic districts. Each board is composed of five members who represent:
- Design professions
- Development interests
- General community interests
- Local business interests
- Local residential interests
Applicants should have:
- Knowledge of, or interest in, architecture, urban design and the development process;
- The ability to evaluate projects based on the city’s design guidelines;
- The ability to listen and communicate effectively at public meetings;
- A passion for design and community development; and
- The ability to work well with others under pressure.
- Prior experience with community or neighborhood groups is a plus.
Board members must live in the city. The local residential interests representative must act as an ambassador to at least one community group or association (e.g. community council) that operates within the board district. Similarly, the local business interests representative must act as an ambassador to at least one business group or association (e.g. chamber of commerce) that operates within the board district. Acting as an ambassador may be easier for the board member if he or she lives or works within the district they are serving, but residency in a district is not a requirement to serve as a local representative.
Board members should expect to work 12-14 hours a month attending and preparing for board meetings, which are held twice a month in the evenings. Board members are expected to attend at least 90 percent of the meetings.
The Design Review Program was established in 1994 to provide an alternative to prescriptive zoning requirements and foster new development that better responds to the character of its surroundings. Boards evaluate the design of development projects based on citywide and neighborhood-specific design guidelines. The boards review mixed-use developments, multifamily housing, and commercial projects above a certain size threshold. Learn more at www.seattle.gov/designreview
