To submit an online application, follow these steps:
- Login to the Seattle Services Portal.
IMPORTANT: If you do not yet have a Seattle Services portal account, you must register before proceeding. Be aware when setting up a new account that the contact information you enter should match the contact information you want to use on your application.
- Click the Home tab.
- Under Create New, click Permits – Street Use.
- Block Party is a Short Term Use record type (this record type is also used for Play Street applications). Click the triangle symbol next to the Short Term Use group to expand the list. Select Block Party.
- Click Continue Application to start the Block Party application process.
- In Step 1, Location Information, input the nearest address of the event and click “search”. For best results, only enter the Street No. and Street Name when searching for the address. When entering a Street Name for a numbered street, such as 8th Ave, only enter "8" in the Street Name field. The system will search the address you enter to verify it is a valid address. The exact location of the block party, such as cross street or block, will be entered in Step 3.
- Click Search. The remaining address fields are auto-filled if there is a match. If there are multiple matching addresses, you are prompted to select the correct one. In the rare case where you are asked to select a parcel, select any parcel in the list. If you get an error message, check your information and try again. If you still cannot proceed, contact the Seattle Services Portal Support Team at SeattleServices_ITHelp@seattle.gov.
- Click Continue Application to proceed to Step 2.
- In Step 2, Contacts, your application requires four contacts. In many cases, all four contacts are the same person for block party permits. The contacts are:
- The Applicant – who is applying,
- The Owner – who owns the event. The event owner does not have to be the owner of the property and is typically the same person as the “applicant.”
- The Financially Responsible Party – block parties are free, but we require a Financially Responsible Party. This person will be responsible for paying any permit-related costs in the rare instance where concerns or complaints require an inspection.
- The Onsite Contact – who is available if we need to speak with somebody onsite during the event.
If the Applicant or the Financially Responsible Party is not the same as the Owner, you may be asked to upload a Letter of Authorization later in the process.
- To add the Applicant contact information, click Select from Account to auto-populate the contact information from your Accela user account. If the Applicant is someone else, click Look Up to find an existing contact in the system or click Add New to create a new Contact.
- Scroll down to provide information about the remaining three contacts. To copy details from a contact you have already added to your application, select the appropriate same as option. Or you can use Select from Account, Add New, or Look Up.
- Click Continue Application.
- In Step 3, Project Information, provide the Project Name. The name should be the type of permit requested (Block Party or Play Street), the street name, and the date or day of the week. For example: Block Party - 5th Ave - 6/15/19 or Play Street - 5th Ave - Fridays
- For the Project and Location Description, enter a detailed description. The screen displays some guidance about the kind of information to provide. This is where you can tell us what you plan to do during your event. Please be detailed and describe what activities and structures you are proposing to place in the right-of-way. You don't need to tell us about what is occurring on private property. For example: We will close 5th Ave between Columbia St and Cherry St and have a community picnic, ten movable tables and twenty chairs, two 10' x 10’ pop-up tents, and giant games.
- Click Continue Application to proceed to Step 4.
- In Step 4, Related Information, click Continue Application to proceed to Step 5.
- In Step 5, Use Information, click Add a Row.
- A pop-up window prompts you to provide Use information.
- The Use Code Description is automatically populated as Block Party/Play Street.
- Fill in the fields. One-time events will have a Use Start Date of the day of the event, with a Duration equaling 1. Recurring events (like Play Streets) will have a Use Start Date of the date of the first event, with a Duration equaling the total number of days between the first event and last event. The Start Time and End Time should reflect the time of the street closure, which may vary from the event time to allow for set up and clean up. If your event occurs on multiple days of the week (e.g., Monday and Tuesday), please enter only use details for one day of the week (e.g., Monday). Once you click “submit,” you will be able to select “add a row” and provide use details for another day of the week (e.g., Tuesday). Required fields are marked with a red asterisk. Click on a blue circle with a question mark for help.
- Click Submit.
- The pop-up form closes, and you are returned to the Use Details section. The use information you just added is visible.
- To add another event date, click Add a Row. The same pop-up is displayed. Enter the required information.
- Once all the event dates are added, click Continue Application to proceed to Step 6.
- In Step 6: Attachments, Block Party and Play Street permits require a Street Closure Template be uploaded to submit your application. In addition, if you list a Financially Responsible Party that is different than the Owner, a Letter of Authorization is required.
- To attach a document, click Select.
- On the File Upload pop-up, click Select.
- Browse your computer and select the correct document, just like you browse to find a document to attach to an email. Click Open to upload your file.
- To attach more documents, repeat steps 27-28. Once all documents are selected, click Done.
- When you attach your document, select a Document Type. Make sure to select the document type that matches your required document, otherwise the system does not know you have provided the requested document. For example, select Street Closure Template as your Document Type when uploading the matching document. Then click Save to attach the document(s) to the application.
- The document(s) you just saved are displayed. Click Continue Application to progress to Step 7. If you see a red Attention message, that means you either have not selected the correct Document Type and/or have missed a required document. If a document is missing, go back to step 26 and upload the missing document. If you selected the wrong Document Type on a document that you have already saved, upload the document again and pick the Document Type that matches the Condition in the Attention message. You may also add a description explaining that you are uploading the document a second time with the correct Document Type. When you see a message with a green checkmark, click Continue Application again to progress to Step 7.
- In Step 7, Review, a summary page is displayed. Review your application information. Click the Edit button to go back and make updates.
- Once reviewed, check the box to agree to the listed terms and conditions.
- Click Continue Application to submit your application.
- A message is displayed confirming that your application is submitted. Plus, an e-mail is sent to the four required contacts on the application. Make note of your Record Number.
- You can log into the Seattle Services Portal at any time to view the status of your application.
- When your permit is issued, an auto-generated email will be sent to the contacts on the application with instructions to log in. Please review the following documents under the Attachments tab carefully so that you are informed on how to set up street closure barricades to ensure a successful block party or play street event:
Category | Details |
---|---|
Permit | This is the permit for your block party or play street. |
Street Closure Checklist and Plan | These are instructions on how to set up the street for your event. |
Please be aware that the permittee is responsible to obtain and set-up any required street closure barricades, signage, and no-park signage. The Street Closure Checklist and Plan provide instructions and you can find more information at our webpage.