How Do I Apply for a Street Trees - Approval for Development (Conceptual Approval) Permit?

Instructions for Applying for a Street Trees - Approval for Development (Conceptual Approval) Permit

Follow these steps to apply for a Street Trees - Approval for Development (Conceptual Approval) permit using the Seattle Services Portal. This process helps ensure your street tree work meets SDOT Urban Forestry’s rules for planting, pruning, removing, relocating, or protecting street trees.

What You'll Need to Start Your Application

Before you start, gather these documents. Most are available on the Street Use Permitting Checklists, Forms, and Templates page.

• Landscape Plan: See section IV, item 2 on page 18. The landscape plan is an accurate drawing that includes the species and size of the trees in the right-of-way. Include the planting soil depth, the planting strip width, and the locations of existing trees, overhead and underground utilities and utility poles, meters, or other structures like sidewalks. It must be possible to measure objects on the plan to determine distances.

  IMPORTANT: The landscape plan must be signed by a landscape professional (for example, licensed landscape architect, certified professional horticulturalist, and certified landscape designer).

• Letter of Authorization: A signed document from the property owner giving you permission to manage the permit.
• Other Documents: Any additional documents specific to your project. A reviewer will notify you if additional materials are needed.

Step-By-Step Guide

Step 1: Log in or Register

1. Go to the Seattle Services Portal.
2. Log in:
   • If you already have an account, log in with your credentials.
   • If you don’t have an account, register for a new account before proceeding.

Step 2: Start Your Application

1. Click on the Home tab in the portal.
2. Under Create New, select Permits – Street Use.
3. Expand the Trees and Vegetation section by clicking on it.
4. Click Street Trees – Approval for Development Projects (Conceptual Approval).

Step 3: Provide Your Project Location

1. On the Location Information page, enter your project address. For best results, only enter the Street No. and Street Name when searching.
   • Street No.: Enter the house or building number.
   • Street Name: Enter the name of the road. When entering a Street Name for a numbered street, such as 5th Ave, only enter "5" in the Street Name field.
2. Click Search. If prompted, select the correct address or parcel number and click Select.
3. Click Continue to proceed.

Step 4: Provide Contact Information

On the Contacts page, provide details for:

• Applicant: You, the person filling out this application.
• Owner: The person or company owning the property, business or asset.
• Financially Responsible Party (FRP): The person or company handling costs for the permit.
• Onsite Contact: The person available if we need to speak with somebody onsite.
• Optionally, add additional contacts like an Authorized Agent in the Additional Contacts section.

1. To add a contact:

   • Click Myself to auto-populate the contact information from your Seattle Services Portal user account. 
   • Click Someone Else to find an existing contact. If the person or organization isn’t found, click the “Person or organization not listed? Add them here." link.

   Note: If the Applicant or Financially Responsible Party is different from the Owner, a Letter of Authorization will be required later.

2. Click Continue to proceed.

Step 5: Provide Your Project Details

1. On the Project Information page, fill in:
   • Project Name: Enter a short title for the project (for example, “Tree Planting for New Townhomes”). This name appears on your invoice if you are billed.
   • Project and Location Description: Describe the work to be carried out including the address and nearby landmarks (for example, “Planting 2 trees on NW 73rd St to meet Green Factor requirements”).
2. Click Continue to proceed.

Step 6: Provide Related Information

1. On the Related Information page:
   • Enter any related permit numbers. You must enter at least one related permit number.
   • Optionally, enter a Customer Reference. There are two fields you may use for your reference. Both fields appear on your invoice if you are billed.
2. Skip the Permit Priority and Project Identification sections unless directed by a reviewer.
3. Click Continue to proceed.

Step 7: Provide Use and Tree Details

1. On the Use Information page:
   1. Under Use Details, click Add a Row.
   2. Fill in the following fields. Required fields are marked with a red asterisk. Click on a blue circle with a question mark for help.
      • Use: Keep the default value of "Tree – Plant, Prune, Remove, Protect, or Relocate."
      • Use Code: Auto-populates based on the Use selected.
      • Street Category: Select the type of street.
      • Side of Street: Select the side where the work will happen.
      • Use Area (sq. ft.): Enter the square footage. Keep the default value of "500" square feet unless you need more space.
      • Mobility Type: Select the mobility type impacted by your work.
      • Closure Type: Select the closure type needed for your work. Most work can be completed with intermittent or no closures.
      • Use Start Date: Enter the estimated start date of your work.
      • Duration Day(s): Enter how long the work will take. The default value is "365" days.
      • Exp Date: Auto-populates based on the Start Date and Duration.
   3. Click Submit.
   4. Repeat steps for each area where work will occur.
2. Under Tree Action Details:
   1. Click Add a Row to describe individual trees impacted by the work.
   2. In Select Action:
      1. Select what you are doing (for example, Plant).
      2. Click Next.
   3. In Select Reason:
      1. Select why you're doing the action selected in the previous popup.
      2. Click Finish.
   4. Fill in Tree Action Details:
      • Action: Auto-populates based on the Action selected.
      • Count: Enter the number of trees (same species and size).
      • Species: List the tree species. Enter a separate row for each tree species.
      • Tree Size: Enter the size in inches (Diameter Breadth Height (DBH) or Caliper (CAL)). Enter a separate row for each tree size.
      • Reason: Auto-populates based on the Reason selected.
      • Description of Work: Add details about the work.
   5. Click Submit.

   6. Repeat steps for each tree species, size, or action.

      IMPORTANT: All existing and new street trees should be recorded in this table.

3. Click Continue to proceed.

Step 8: Attach Required Documents

1. On the Documents page, click Select to upload your document (for example, Landscape Plan).
2. Select your document:
   1. Click Select in the File Upload popup.
   2. Select your document (for example, Landscape Plan) and click Open.
   3. Click Done in the File Upload popup.
3. Select your document type:
   1. In the Document Type dropdown, select the document type that matches the document you uploaded. For example, select "Landscape Plan" as your document type when uploading the matching document.
   2. Optionally, enter the Description of the document.
4. Click Save and wait for the upload to complete. Note: It may take a few minutes for your document to fully upload.
5. Repeat steps for each additional document required. When prompted, select the document type that matches the document you are uploading.
6. Click Continue to proceed.
   • 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 1 in this section 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.

Step 9: Review and Submit

1. On the Review page:
   • Verify that all information is correct.
   • Make edits as needed by clicking Edit in the relevant sections.
2. Agree to the certification statement by checking the box.
3. Click Continue to submit.

Step 10: Confirmation Displays

A Thank You page displays along with your application’s Record Number. 

• The record number has a format of SDOTTRLA0000000.
• Keep this number for future reference.

Congratulations! Your application has been submitted for review. The Urban Forestry team will contact you if additional information is required. For questions or updates, email [e-mail] and include your Record Number in the subject line.

You can log into the Seattle Services Portal at any time to track the status of your application.

Need Help?

If you have questions or need assistance, email [e-mail]. Include your Record Number in the subject line for faster service.