Subdivision, part 3

As I said, I took a trip to Seattle's Department of Planning and Development today.

I stood in line at the "triage" counter, which didn't take too long. She apologized that no one responded to my faxes (and checked that I had the correct fax number), took my form, and told me it would take about a half hour to get me a project number, after which I would go to the cashier and pay my fee, then return the form to the triage counter.

I thought to myself, "How can it possibly take thirty minutes to generate a project number?" Little did I know.

I took a seat.

Forty-five minutes later, I got back in line. Once at the counter again (now an hour after I first arrived), I was told that the woman handling these forms had been at lunch and that it would only be ten or fifteen more minutes.

I took a seat.

After twenty minutes, I short-circuited the triage line. The woman running the counter apologized and disappeared to the back office to check on the forms (apparently others had also been left high and dry by the unseen woman). The desk woman returned and told me that I needed to fill out a Preliminary Application form because they didn't have my contact information.

This was complete nonsense. Not only was my contact information on the Site Visit form, but the first page of the Preliminary Application form quite clearly states that the form is not required for subdivisions!

The desk woman said she didn't know anything about that, and went back to helping the next person in line while I filled out the unnecessary Preliminary Application form.

At this point, I was ready to start breaking things.

I stood near the triage desk, waiting.

About one and a half hours after I first arrived, a woman from the back office (probably the one who went on lunch break, but I'm not certain) emerged and handed a form back to a woman who had also been waiting for well over an hour. She then came up to me and told me that since I wasn't in their system, she needed the Preliminary Application form to get my contact information. I pointed out that the information was on the Site Visit Request form. She said I didn't have to be rude and, "I'm only trying to help you."

Funny way of helping, if you ask me.

She took the Site Visit Request form back, now that I'd pointed out the contact information on it, and turned to leave. I stopped her and handed her the Preliminary Application form as well, since I'd gone to the trouble of filling it out.

She disappeared.

I stood and waited.

I took a sheet of paper from a pamplet display and began folding and refolding it neatly, and then I tore it to shreds. I threw it in the garbage can.

I stood and waited.

I took another sheet of paper and began folding and refolding it neatly.

The woman from the back office finally returned and gave me my form and the page to give the cashier. Despite all the words I wanted to say to her, I held my tongue. Perhaps the silent treatment was a bit petty, though.

I threw the pamphlet paper in the garbage on my way to the cashier. With a smile, I paid my $100+ fee. The cashier gave me my receipt.

I returned to the triage desk, but nobody was there (except the five people in line). That was okay, though, since I had to go back to the cashier to get her to stamp my Site Visit Request form (which I had set on her desk when I handed her the check, but she hadn't asked for it). Back to the triage desk I went, just as the desk woman came back. I handed her the form and left.

Two hours total.

And it should have taken two minutes . . . over the phone . . . a week ago.