short plat / sub division: setback question

[Ellen Li]

I have a piece of land in Seattle and am thinking to sub divide it for two units. Have checked with the planning department and the lot size and zoning code meets sub-division requirement. The only thing is that the lot is in the landslide hazard area which requires a 60-feet setback. Obviously with the 60-feet setback I can barely build anything anymore.

Should I hire a surveyor or geotech to mitigate the issue? Can they usually reduce the setback to 15 feet and does anybody have similar experience before? How much will it cost to do the geotech to reduce the setback? Any recommendation on the geotech or survey company will also be appreciated.

Thanks!