Shoreline sources and open questions
The city’s 2008 permit exemptions handout says a wall not over four feet, measured from footing to top, needs no permit, and that a surcharge removes the exemption. It says to verify against current code, so we treat its figures as a starting point. The planning handout on exempt work gives the same four-foot line for residential walls and lists sloped backfill as a surcharge.
The 2014 Department of Ecology manual named in the drainage handout sets the stormwater tiers. Hard surface is sorted at 2,000 and 5,000 square feet, and total disturbance at 7,000. Even the smallest tier triggers Minimum Requirement #2. Which manual edition governs a given permit is still open.
Sidewalks fall to the abutting owner. Shoreline Municipal Code 12.05.020 assigns maintenance and repair of sidewalks, including snow removal, to the bordering property, and the sidewalk ordinance puts the expense of that work there. The permit table lists a Right-of-Way Use permit with a 30-day target decision time, but we did not find a separate driveway approach or curb cut permit in it, so that path is confirmed with staff.
Nearby, we also build in Lake Forest Park, Mountlake Terrace, Edmonds, and Kenmore, and we serve the rest of western Washington.