Seattle imposes new construction regulation to address rat problem

Seattle has implemented a new regulation to reduce the number of rats occupying vacant buildings.

The port city ranks first in the U.S. in the number of rats living within its borders. The new rat eradication regulation goes into effect in 2017. It requires developers to prove they have consulted with a pest-control professional before any vacant building is demolished. If the inspection discovers a rat infestation, the rodents must be eradicated before the building can be torn down.

Existing regulations make controlling a rat problem the responsibility of the building owner. When a developer buys a vacant building, the rat problem can become significant while the owner prepares to redevelop the property.

Making matters worse, Seattle is in the midst of a construction boom. Many vacant properties are facing demolition, and rats tend to move from formerly vacant properties into neighboring homes or buildings.

New York City has two very large buildings dedicated to answering the 911 calls of its five boroughs. With more than 11 million emergency calls annually, it makes perfect sense. The second of these buildings, the Public Safety Answering Center II (PSAC II) is located on a nine-acre parcel of land in the Bronx. It’s an imposing 450,000 square-foot structure—a 240-foot-wide by 240-foot-tall cube. The gleaming aluminum cube risesthe equivalent of 24 stories from behind a grassy berm, projecting the unlikely impression that it might actually be floating. Like most visually striking structures, the building has drawn as much scorn as it has admiration.