As we shelter indoors for the winter months, our minds often turn to spring and summer house projects. As you make your plans, please make sure to ask yourself, “Do I need a building permit for that?”  

The City of Walla Walla has adopted the International Building Code,, which requires building and/or fire code permits for many residential and commercial projects to ensure safety for residents and the environment.  

Permits protect your investment. When you apply for a permit, your project plans are reviewed and work is inspected by trained building code officials to ensure your project is safe and property constructed.  

Examples of projects that DO require a building permit include:

• All building additions (adding square footage to an existing building)
• Residential storage buildings over 200 square feet
• Replacement of any mechanical equipment (heat pumps, furnaces, water heaters etc.)
• Interior remodels
• Re-roofing and re-siding
• Swimming pools, spas, and hot tubs

Examples of projects that DO NOT require a building permit include:

• Painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets, countertop, and similar finish work
• Repair and maintenance of roofing and siding
• Gutter installation, replacement of a garage door

These are just some examples and are not exclusive lists.  

If you have any question about whether your future project needs a permit, please plan ahead and give Development Services a call at 509-524-4710 or email your questions to 
permits@wallawallawa.gov

Staff in the Development Services Department often hear people asking why they should buy a permit for their project. The fees paid for permits help to make sure your projects are completed correctly and in compliance with building regulations and Walla Walla’s Municipal Code. 

The Development Services Department manages a wide range of permits that have specific purposes:

Building 

Building permits check to make sure that the plans used to construct a building meet current code requirements, use the correct materials, and are inspected throughout the construction. This prevents foundations from failing, roofs from falling, pipes from leaking, and more — all the things that need to be done correctly to have a successful project. Permit technicians also check to make sure contactors are registered with Washington State Labor & Industries and that they have a valid City of Walla Walla business license.

Planning

Land-use permits track changes to parcels, review new subdivisions, conduct environmental reviews, check land use zoning, and even make sure fences are installed correctly. Planners also work to ensure food trucks are parked where they don’t impact nearby restaurants and the registered door-to-door salespeople have had a background check. If you’re not sure about a salesperson, ask to see their City-issued peddlers license.

Development Services staff are available to answer your building and land-use questions. Contact them at 509-524-4710 or permits@wallawallawa.gov, or stop by the office at the City Service Center, 55 E. Moore St. from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

No one wants to live near a property that is full of junk or overgrown vegetation, or otherwise neglected. If you haven’t been able to help your neighbor resolve the problem, you might need to file a code complaint with the City. If you make a code complaint, it might be frustrating when the violation isn’t resolved immediately. Code enforcement is a process that can take days, weeks, or even months to complete, and the City appreciates your patience.

Code Enforcement’s goal is to work with owners to voluntarily bring property into compliance. There are many reasons a property can become an eyesore, so while working to get it cleaned up, Code Enforcement Officers must be compassionate and responsive to the needs of both the complainant and the property owner.  

When a Code Enforcement Officer receives a complaint, they go to the location and document the violations. The officer then tries to contact the owner/residents of the property to let them know there has been a complaint, and tell them what corrective actions need to be taken. 

Officers prefer to make contact in person or by phone, but if that isn’t possible, a written notice is sent. Depending on how bad the issues are, the written notice could be a courtesy notice, a Notice of Violation, or a Voluntary Correction Agreement. A Voluntary Correction Agreement is a contract with specific timelines and benchmarks that must be met for the violation to be resolved. 

Where a Notice of Violation is ignored, or cleanup progress has stalled, the case will go in front of a Hearing Examiner who may impose significant monetary penalties and order abatement by the City at the cost to the property owner. 

If you have a question regarding the City’s Code Enforcement program, please call 509-394-6723.

It’s time to get our yards, gardens, and properties ready for outdoor fun and activities! Spring is also a great time of year to take advantage of the sunshine and longer days to build your children new play equipment, or playhouses, or add new decks, gazebos, or swimming pools for family and friends to enjoy this summer.

If you are thinking of a project or have one planned for this summer, please give the City of Walla Walla’s Development Services team a call at 509-524-4710 to learn what types of building permits are or may be required. You can also visit our website at wallawallawa.gov/government/development-services. We’d love to hear from you!

The City of Walla Walla is fortunate to have a well-established urban forest. Trees provide many benefits, including clean air, energy conservation, stormwater retention, shade, and more. 

Preserving Walla Walla’s urban forest is a high priority for City leaders. The City seeks to line our streets with as many large trees as possible; encourages new tree plantings to ensure Walla Walla always has a healthy urban forest; encourages proper tree care; and makes every effort to fix facilities without harming street trees.

A “street tree” is defined as any tree planted on a public right-of-way, such as planting strips. 

If residents want to plant, prune, or remove a street tree, they need to get a permit. The City arborist and the Parks, Recreation, and Urban Forestry Advisory Board review each permit application to ensure it aligns with City planning documents.

Before you remove, prune, or plant a tree in the planting strip, please contact the Parks Department at 509-527-4527 or Trees@wallawallawa.gov so staff can assist you.

Why are these permits required? 

• Permits for planting ensure street trees are the right type for the location and won’t damage nearby sidewalks, curbs, or utility lines. 
• Permits for pruning help to ensure the work is performed properly and doesn’t damage other parts of the tree, and help the City keep its tree inventory data current. 
• Permits for removal of street trees are needed to ensure the work is done by a trained, insured arborist.

To learn more about street-tree requirements, get a street-tree permit application, and see a list of licensed tree care professionals, visit wallawallawa.gov/street-trees.

If you’re thinking of starting a business in Walla Walla, what do you need to do to make your ideas a reality? People with interest in opening a business in an existing or new structure are encouraged to start the process by contacting the City’s Development Services Department at 509-524-4710 or permits@wallawallawa.gov. Staff will inform you of what building permits you need to apply for and provide for the inspection of those permits.

If you’re considering renting a building or space, staff can help you determine whether the proposed business type is allowed within that particular zone. They will also help you ensure the space is properly built out for the intended use. The city offers a free meeting for anyone looking to open a business in a commercial space. This meeting provides opportunity to discuss your project with staff from the Building, Planning, Engineering, and Fire Departments. Contact Development Services for more information on our Pre-Application Meetings.

Different types of businesses fall under different regulations. For example, an industrial business might have more building and fire-code requirements to meet than a typical commercial business. The City’s zoning code specifies requirements for parking, landscaping, the types of uses that are allowed in a particular zone, and more. These requirements may vary depending on the use proposed for a site. Oftentimes, if an existing structure had one type of use (retail, for example) and a different type of use is proposed (such as an event space), this will trigger building code requirements for the change of use. Staff can help you evaluate which permits and/or building licenses you will need.

The goal of Development Services staff is to assist applicants through the review and permitting processes. They consider this to be a partnership — the applicant’s success is the City’s success by having a new business open here. Issues that arise during the process will be handled creatively, and always with the goal of providing customers with timely service that meets their needs.

Planning to open a business? Please include Development Services in your plans to reduce unexpected delays or challenges. The City wants to be a partner in your success!

The City of Walla Walla employs two full-time urban planners. A planner’s job is to work with residents, officials, and other City employees to guide the layout and development of the city. 

The goal of planning is to maximize the health, safety, and economic well-being of all people living in our communities. This involves thinking about how we can move around our community, how we can attract and retain thriving businesses, where we want to live, and opportunities for recreation. Planning helps create communities of lasting value.

While architects often focus on a single building, a planner’s job is to work with residents and elected officials to guide the layout of an entire community or region. Planners take a broad view and look at how the pieces of a community — buildings, roads, nature — fit together like pieces of a puzzle. With the help of the Planning Commission and public input, planners make recommendations on how the community should proceed. 

One of the greatest challenges for planners is to imagine what can and should happen to a community — how it should grow and change, and what it should offer residents 10, 15, or even 20 years into the future while complying with federal and state laws regarding local planning. 

State law requires the City to develop a 20-year growth plan called a Comprehensive Plan, which is kind of a map or blueprint for what a community aims to achieve in the future. A Comprehensive Plan is drafted by residents, stakeholders, and the City’s Planning Commission prior to adoption by the City Council.

Planners also administer Walla Walla’s Municipal Code relating to zoning and building laws. Our City planners review applications for building permits, subdivisions, and project site plans to ensure the development complies with the  Municipal Code, which includes the zoning map and is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. 

If you would like to learn more about urban planning, you may view a Short Course on Local Planning offered online by the Washington State Department of Commerce at bit.ly/3JJmEJN or stop by the Development Services Department at 55 E. Moore St., or call 509-524-4735 and speak with one of our planners. 

Walla Walla’s Downtown Historic District is roughly bounded by Rose Street, Palouse Street, the alley between Alder and Poplar streets, and 3rd Avenue. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in September 2021. 

Designation on the National Register of Historic Places is honorary, raises the public profile, and celebrates the rich history of Downtown Walla Walla. Designation can increase tourism, enhance business recruitment, increase property resale values, and expand grant funding eligibility. 

Designation allows eligible property owners to utilize the federal Historic Tax Credits program, an incentive designed to spur the preservation and rehabilitation of historic buildings.

However, being in the Historic District does not mean buildings must be frozen in time, or that the City is going to tell property owners what they can and cannot do with their properties. Buildings in the National Historic District only require local design review for changes if they are also listed in the Walla Walla Register of Historic Places. Additionally, projects that secure federal funding require consideration of impacts and a review of the alterations.

To contribute to the district, a building needs to have been built or had a major remodel during the period of significance (1869-1970) and have integrity (location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association) that is intact. While not every building in the district area contributes to the historic district and therefore is eligible for the above incentives, there are about 70 contributing properties within the district. 

For more information about the Downtown Historic District, please visit the City’s historic preservation webpage at bit.ly/3s19sKa or contact the Development Services department at 509-524-4710.

When you dig or engage in activities that could potentially disturb the ground, there are a few things you should be aware of. 

First, if your project involves excavating, you are required to call 8-1-1 to request that the approximate locations of buried utilities be marked with paint or flags. This way, you’ll know where they are, and you can avoid accidentally digging into an underground utility line. Washington state law (RCW 19.122.020) defines excavation as any operation, including the installation of signs, in which earth, rock, or other material on or below the ground is moved or otherwise displaced by any means. For more information, visit www.digsafewa.com. 

The second thing to be aware of is whether a permit is needed for your project. Projects that include digging could require a grading permit, building permit, and/or a right-of-way permit. Every project is unique, so please call Development Services at 509-524-4710 for more information about what permit/s might be required for your project. 

The third consideration is the possible presence of archaeological and cultural resources. If you unexpectedly discover cultural materials, the preparation of an Inadvertent Discovery Plan could be required. The template for this plan, prepared by the state Department of Ecology. 

Per Walla Walla Municipal Code, if you unexpectedly discover cultural material (for example, bones, shell, stone tools, beads, ceramics, old bottles, hearths, etc.) or human remains while digging, you must immediately stop work, secure the location, and contact the Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation. Please also send written notice of the finding to the Development Services Department at permits@wallawallawa.gov. 

Keeping these things in mind as you plan and carry out your project will ensure your work complies with City and State regulations and preserves any cultural resources you might encounter.

The municipal code is basically the City of Walla Walla’s book of standards and regulations. It relates to everything from operating short-term rentals (vacation rentals) in the city and development near creeks to subdivision design standards and much more.

Every year, the Development Services Department applies to change a variety of city code sections, and these are bundled together as an “annual code amendments” project.

Annual code amendments are different every year, but they generally fall into the following categories: 

• Clarifying confusing code sections that are difficult to administer; 
• Making changes that align with newly passed state legislation; 
• Removing outdated language or land uses; 
• Making revisions due to societal, cultural, or technological changes that impact the way we live; or, 
• Making policy changes with the goal of communitywide positive impact. 

Proposing updates to the city code requires research, analysis, and community input.

So how can you, as a Walla Walla resident, suggest changes to the comprehensive plan text and/ or zoning code? Per the Walla Walla Municipal Code (WWMC) 20.48.200, anyone may submit suggested changes to the Comprehensive Plan or development regulations that are not project- or site-specific.

This list of suggestions is known as the “docket.” The docket provides the opportunity for anyone to suggest a change or identify a deficiency, such as the absence of required or potentially desirable content in the Comprehensive Plan or development regulations. An item may be submitted to the docket at any time during the calendar year. Items submitted by March 31 will be considered as part of the City’s annual code amendment cycle and reviewed with the City Council before beginning a formal code amendment process. There is no fee associated with submitting an item to the docket.

Suggested changes must be submitted in writing via email to permits@wallawallawa.gov or mailed to 55 E Moore St., Walla Walla. For more information, see WWMC 20.48.200.