Visual impacts and design standards.
Seattle Mun. Code § 23.57.016
in effectA. Telecommunication facilities shall be integrated with the design of the building to provide an appearance as compatible as possible with the structure. Telecommunication facilities, or methods to screen or conceal facilities, shall result in a cohesive relationship with the key architectural elements of the building. B. If mounted on a pitched roof, facilities shall be screened by materials that maintain the pitch of the roof, matching color and texture as closely as possible, or integrated with and enclosed within structures such as dormers or gables compatible with the roof design. See exhibit 23.57.016 B. C. If mounted on a flat roof, screening shall extend to the top of communication facilities except that whip antennas may extend above the screen as long as mounting structures are screened. Screening for satellite dishes is addressed in subsection E, below. Said screening shall be integrated with architectural design, material, shape and color. Facilities in a separate screened enclosure shall be located near the center of the roof, if technically feasible. Facilities not in a separate screened enclosure shall be mounted fiat against existing stair and elevator penthouses or mechanical equipment enclosures and shall be no taller than such structures. D. Facilities that are side-mounted on buildings shall be integrated with architectural elements such as window design or building decorative features, or screened by siding or other materials matching the building exterior, or otherwise be integrated with design, material, shape, and color so as to not be visibly distinctive. In general, antennas shall be as unobtrusive as practicable, including the use of non-reflective materials. Installations on the primary building facade shall be allowed only if roof, ground-mounted, or secondary facade mounted installation is technically unfeasible. E. Satellite dishes that are not located on freestanding transmission towers shall be screened to the top of the dish on at last three (3) sides and shall be enclosed in the direction of the signal to the elevation allowed by the azimuth of the antenna. If screening on the remaining side is not to the top of the antenna, the antenna and the inside and outside of the screen shall be painted the same color to minimize visibility and mask the contrasting shape of the dish with building or landscape elements. F. New antennas shall be consolidated with existing antennas and mechanical equipment unless the new antennas can be better obscured or integrated with the design of other parts of the building. G. Antennas mounted on a permitted accessory structure, such as a free standing sign, shall be integrated with design, material, shape and color and shall not be visibly distinctive from the structure. H. A screen for a ground-mounted dish antenna shall be a minimum six (6) feet tall and shall extend to the top of the dish. The screen may be in the form of a view-obscuring fence, wall or hedge that shall be maintained in good condition. Chain link, plastic or vinyl fencing/screening is prohibited. I. Antennas attached to a public facility, such as a water tank, shall be integrated with the design, material, shape and color of, and shall not be visibly distinctive from, the public facility. Antennas attached to City-owned poles shall follow the terms and conditions contained in Section 15.32.300 . J. Freestanding transmission towers shall minimize external projections from the support structure to reduce visual impacts and to the extent feasible shall integrate antennas in a screening structure with the same dimensions as external dimensions of the support structure, or shall mount antennas with as little projection from the structure as feasible. External conduits, climbing structures, fittings, and other projections from the external face of the support structure shall be minimized to the extent feasible. K. The standards set forth in this Section 23.57.016 may be varied as follows: 1. For new buildings these standards may be varied through the design review process provided for in Section 23.41.014 . 2. For existing buildings that have previously gone through the design review process these standards may be varied by the Director if the Director determines that the new minor communication facilities would be consistent with the Director's design review decision on the original building; otherwise, these standards may be varied through the administrative design review process provided for in Section 23.41.016 . 3. For existing buildings that have not previously gone through the design review process these standards may be varied through the administrative design review process provided for in Section 23.41.016 . (Ord. 120928 § 37, 2002.)
Source: Seattle Municipal Code (Municode library)URL: https://library.municode.com/wa/seattle/codes/municipal_codeFetched: 7/25/2026