Category Archives: Urban Forests

Ingraham NW Tree Grove Fight Back Before Seattle Hearing Examiner for Third Time.

Posted on June 23rd, 2010 | Comments Off on Ingraham NW Tree Grove Fight Back Before Seattle Hearing Examiner for Third Time.

Threatened NW Tree Grove at Ingraham High School

Save the Trees-Seattle is commencing another full blown hearing today on trying to save the old conifer and madrone trees in the NW grove at Ingraham High School in North Seattle. Last year we seemingly won our appeal before the Seattle Hearing Examiner– she agreed with us that the NW Grove was an uncommon habitat in Seattle and that city environmental law said it should be protected.

Unfortunately the Hearing Examiner gave the Seattle School District the option of moving the project or reducing the footprint and the Seattle School District  choose to just reduce the footprint. Trees be damned. The Seattle school District reduced the footprint of the project from a previous 44% of the grove to 38% and then started playing additional games.

They said the impact was much less because they now claimed the grove didn’t start at the edge of the school but 30 feet out. Problem is 30 feet out is where the tree trunks are and groves start where their roots and canopy drip lines are, not where tree trunks actually are.

And of course the Seattle School District  claimed that all the alternative building sites they looked at cost more. Originally they claimed that a 2 story building on the north side would destroy 4 classrooms in the existing building. Then in the second Addendum to their Environmental Checklist they claimed 2 classrooms were lost. They of course had to replace these classrooms so the alternative site would have to have a larger building and cost more.

The only problem is that the Architects finally agreed with Save the Trees-Seattle that no classrooms would be lost with a two story building on the north side. So the Seattle School district now claims that they must build a 2000 square foot entrance way for any North side building. In other words the fix is on. They have added extra study rooms and more utilities, you name it, to each of the other sites besides the west addition in the NW Grove grove to jack up the price.

This is the public’s taxpayer dollars at work, ignoring what is good environmental policy and setting out to destroy more of an uncommon plant habitat in Seattle that also has significant canopy – these are 75 year old, 100 foot tall Douglas fir, western red cedar and Pacific Madrone trees – part of the last 50 acres of this habitat in Seattle according to a report done by Seattle Urban Nature. on the State of Seattle’s Madrone Forests.

The Hearing process starts at 9 AM on the 40th Floor of the Seattle Municipal Tower, 700 5th Ave. The Hearing is today, Wednesday June 23, 2010. The public is welcome to attend. The appellants go first and then the Seattle School District and Seattle Department of Planning and Development.

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Seattle Urban Forestry Commission Needs to Concentrate on New Tree Ordinance

Posted on June 5th, 2010 | Comments Off on Seattle Urban Forestry Commission Needs to Concentrate on New Tree Ordinance

The following are comments presented to the Seattle City Council’s Committee on Regional Development and Sustainability on June 4, 2010 by Steve Zemke, the Chairperson of Save the Trees – Seattle

“I want to again commend the Council for their action last year in recognizing the importance of Seattle’s urban forest to the infrastructure and well being of our city through their actions to create the Urban Forestry Commission and set a task of revising and strengthening our tree and urban forestry ordinances.

The 9 member Urban Forestry Commission has been meeting since January and has been busy coming to grips with the multitude of issues dealing with trees in the city. I have been impressed with the commitment and level of thought and experience the Commissioners have brought to the table to assist the Mayor and City Council in their efforts to protect trees and reach the goal of significantly increasing Seattle’s urban forest and canopy.

I think if anything the Commission has been faced with too many issues and need now to refocus their efforts by doing a long range work plan. I believe their main priority should be to focus in on helping you draft and evaluate provisions as proposed for a revised tree and urban forestry ordinance in Council Resolution Number 31138 passed last August 3, 2009, the same day you created the urban forestry commission.

Trees continue to be lost every day in the city. Rumor circulating among city departments dealing with trees has it that a figure of 17,000 trees a year are lost in Seattle. We need to deal with this loss by among other things setting up an expanded permit system to remove any tree over 6 inches on both private and public property. Other cities do this and successfully. They are placing a much higher priority on having a green city than Seattle is.

Permits are already required before someone can remove a street tree.

In addition all persons performing tree trimming and removal should be required to get a business license from the city before they can remove trees in the city as a business. Our current system of protecting exceptional trees is complaint based. By the time anyone in the city receives a complaint the trees are gone.

Rather than requiring property owners to understand all the in and outs of complex tree regulations thoroughly, put the burden on those who profit by illegally cutting down trees in our city. Severe penalties and loss or suspension of a business license would go a long way to end illegal tree cutting. Educating several hundred people engaged as arborists or other tree service people in city laws to protect trees is a lot easier than trying to reach some 600,000 or so city residents.

The city needs to move now to tighten our urban forestry protections. Please urge the Urban Forestry Commission to focus their energies on helping you fulfill the directives given in Resolution 31138.”

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Twenty Years at Twin Ponds Park in Shoreline

Posted on May 24th, 2010 | Comments Off on Twenty Years at Twin Ponds Park in Shoreline
This weekend a new sign was dedicated for the Arboretum at Twin Ponds Park in Shoreline. The sign is the culmination of 20 years of work by a local activist, John Dixon, who has been instrumental in creating the Arboretum.
A post last year in the Ronald Bog Blog noted that there is “a ‘secret’ hidden-away little arboretum at Twin Ponds. Somehow, back in the early 1990s a man named John Dixon convinced King County to let him plant a tree there. Then more trees. Over the years he kept on planting trees and cleaning the place up – removing concrete debris, etc. Now, nearly two decades later, John is still taking care of this place. It really is a hidden gem.”

I first met John several years ago when we started the still continuing effort to save the grove of trees on the west side of Ingraham High School. A neighbor described meeting John pushing a wheelbarrow down  Meridian Ave N. and noted he was someone interested in saving trees.

John’s wheelbarrow activities are a frequent enough occurrence that the top of the arboretum sign has a carving of John literally running with a wheelbarrow – a sign of the intensity and commitment of his efforts to create the Arboretum at Twin Ponds Park.

John had a few stories to tell those gathered for the dedication which described the depth of his commitment. The area where the arboretum now is was once a swamp.  It is part of the Thornton Creek watershed. Unfortunately the property had once been a dumping ground for a “landscaping” company before it was acquired by King County in 1972 for a park.  The City of Shoreline acquired the park in 1997.

When John started digging to plant trees he found the soil  filled full of concrete blocks and asphalt. In digging a hole back in 1994 he and his son Max wound up removing over 60 concrete blocks over several days time. The activity was unusual enough that it prompted a neighbor to call the police who came to check out “the activity of the homeless people who were in the park building a shelter out of concrete blocks.”

Since then John has continued to work in the park removing blackberries and other invasive plants in addition to unwanted building material. Ten years ago he founded the Stewards of Twin Ponds. The Arboretum has now seen the addition of some 100 new trees.

Some of the tree species present include several giant sequoias, a small grove of coastal redwoods, a native Garry oak, a Forrest fir native to China and a forty foot tall grand fir which once was a Christmas tree.Twin Ponds Park overall has some 450 trees.

Recently students at the nearby Evergreen School completed a bird census and found some some 40 different species present in the park.

Twin Ponds Park is located South of N 155th st  It is between Meridian Ave N and 1st Ave NE. The Arboretum can be found on the west side of the south parking lot located on 1st Ave. NE.

Here are two quotes John read at the dedication ceremony of the new sign:

“The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is now.” Proverbs

“A tree is beautiful, but what’s more, it has a right to life; like water, the sun and the stars, it is essential. Life on earth is inconceivable without trees.” Anton Chekhov

I looked up the Chekhov quote, which continues, “Forests create climate, climate influences peoples’ character, and so on and so forth. There can be neither civilization nor happiness if forests crash down under the axe, if the climate is harsh and severe, if people are also harsh and severe…. What a terrible future! Chekhov wrote this in 1888, some 132 years ago. It is just as relevant today.

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University of Washington Arboretum Clearcuts Trees While Others Celebrate Earth Day

Posted on April 26th, 2010 | 3 comments

This past week while others were celebrating Earth Day, at the University of Washington Arboretum they were busy clearcutting an area to remove some 34 trees. Many of them were mature trees that had been around for 50 or more years.

A sign posted on the corner of Arboretum Dr and Lake Washington Blvd claimed that the mature trees including big leaf maple and Douglas fir trees did ” not contribute to the horticultural collection” but made no mention that the removal of these trees obviously contributed to the continued loss of Seattle’s urban forest canopy.

Click on  the link here to see the short  video by Michael Oxman.  Most of the trees have already been cut but you can listen to the chainsaw as some of the fallen trees are cut up to remove them.

The city’s concern for loss of our forest canopy has increased in the last several years as the realization has sunk in that the city has lost some 50% of the forest canopy we had in 1973.  Then some 40% of the city was forested, now it is anywhere from 18% to 23% depending on which study you look at.

The sign noted that the Project master plan was adopted by the City Council and Mayor in 2001. Back then few people were concerned about the loss of the City’s forest canopy.

The land the arboretum is on is owned by the Seattle Parks Department but the trees are owned by the University of Washington. But city taxpayers have contributed some $2.5 million to the project as part of the recent Parks and Open Space Levy. The current clearcutting area is only part of the Arboretum long range plans which involve the removal of many more trees.

The arboretum’s removal of the trees is part of creating the Pacific Connections Garden with this particular area to be a Chilean focal forest.  Some 72 Chilean trees will be planted in the area.

A memo from the Parks and Recreation Dept. gives cursory detail of the trees to be removed. No measurement of tree age or height or canopy is given. A list of trees to be planted and an accompanying picture seems to indicate a significant loss of native habitat and canopy when compared with the replacement tree picture. No detail is given as to the ultimate size of the replacement trees but the habitat value to native bird species and other animals displaced by the removal of native trees is likely not minimal.

TREE REMOVALS

Count Botanical Name Common Name Size Native?

1 Acer macrophyllum Big Leaf Maple 12-18″ Y

1 Acer macrophyllum Big Leaf Maple 12-18″ Y

1 Acer macrophyllum Big Leaf Maple 12-18″ Y

1 Acer macrophyllum Big Leaf Maple 12-18″ Y

1 Acer macrophyllum Big Leaf Maple 12-18″ Y

1 Acer macrophyllum Big Leaf Maple 18-24″ Y

1 Acer macrophyllum Big Leaf Maple 18-24″ Y

1 Acer macrophyllum Big Leaf Maple 24-30″ Y

1 Acer macrophyllum Big Leaf Maple 6-12″ Y

1 Acer macrophyllum Big Leaf Maple 6-12″ Y

1 Acer macrophyllum Big Leaf Maple 24-30″ Y

1 Acer macrophyllum Big Leaf Maple 6-12″ Y

1 Arbutus menziesii Madrone 12-18″ Y

1 Juniperus occidentalis Western Juniper 6-12″ N

1 Juniperus occidentalis Western Juniper 6-12″ N

1 Juniperus scopulorum Telleson’s Blue Weeping Juniper 6-12″ N

1 Juniperus scopulorum Telleson’s Blue Weeping Juniper 6-12″ N

1 Juniperus Sp. Columnar Juniper 6-12″ N

1 Juniperus them Columnar Juniper 6-12″ N

1 Pinus cembra Swiss Stone Pine 12-18″ N

1 Pinus cembra Swiss Stone Pine 6-12″ N

1 Pinus x ‘Mercy’ Pine 18-24″ N

1 Populas trichocarpa Cottonwood >30″ Y

1 Psuedotsuga menziesii Douglas Fir 6-12″ Y

1 Psuedotsuga menziesii Douglas Fir >30″ Y

1 Psuedotsuga menziesii Douglas Fir 24-30″ Y

1 Psuedotsuga menziesii Douglas Fir >30″ Y

1 Quercus vacciniifolia Huckleberry Oak 6-12″ N

1 Quercus vacciniifolia Huckleberry Oak 6-12″ N

1 Thuja plicata Western Cedar 24-30″ Y

1 Thuja plicata Western Cedar 24-30″ Y

1 Thuja plicata Western Cedar 24-30″ Y

1 Thuja plicata Western Cedar 24-30″ Y

1 Thuja plicata Western Cedar 18-24″ Y

Total 34

IV. Tree Replacements

OVERSTORY PLANT LIST – CHILE

Count Botanical Name Common Name Size Native?

7 ARAUCARIA AURUCANA MONKEY PUZZLE TREE 72″ BOX N

5 AZARA DENTATA BOXLEAF AZARA 8′ HEIGHT N

13 DRIMYS WINTERI WINTER’S BARK 5 GAL. N

16 EMBOTHRIUM COCCINEUMCHILEAN FIRE BUSH 5 GAL. N

5 JUBAEA CHILENSIS CHILEAN WINE PALM 48″ BOX N

5 JUBAEA CHILENSIS CHILEAN WINE PALM 15 gal N

13 PODOCARPUS SALIGNUSWILLOWLEAF PODOCARP 5 GAL. N

6 PRUMNOPITYS ANDINA LLEUQUE 5 GAL. N

3 SOPHORA CASSIOIDES KOWHAI 5 GAL. N

Total 73

Review of the decision paper by David Graves in 2007 entitled “Analysis and Decision by the Superintendent of the Department of Parks and Recreation for the project reveals that up to 550 trees in total will be removed from the arboretum. It states that “The trees to be removed include “native Matrix” forest that consists of trees, shrubs and ground cover that are largely self seeded” In the next paragraph it states that “The Arboretum is not a natural forest, it is a plant collection managed to preserve and protect worldwide species …”

Just what is a “natural forest” if not trees, shrubs and ground cover that is largely self seeded.

Maybe this mass scale removal of fully grown trees and urban forest was business as usual in the past but the University of Washington’s Arboretum clearcutting is only the latest example of many jurisdictions having trees but each acting independently without regard to thecurrent  overall health of Seattle’s urban forest.  These include the Army Corps of Engineers along the ship canal and the Seattle School District at Ingraham High School. Their efforts all contribute to increased loss of existing forest canopy.

They all have higher purposes and goals.  Trees and their associated habitat and the current urban forest canopy are frequently expendable in pursuit of those goals. These are issues that the City and the Seattle Urban Forestry Commission need to examine if they hope to come to grips with how the city can preserve and increase Seattle’s urban forest.

for additional information on the plans of the Arboretum see:

Washington Park Arboretum and Green Space Levy Project Information

Washington Park Arboretum Pacific Connections Pro Parks Project Information

> DNS

> Determination of Non-Significance Analysis

> SEPA Checklist

> SEPA Appendices

> Figure 1: Vicinity Map

> Figure 2: Garden Sketch

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Send Mayor McGinn an Earth Day Message to Save the Trees at Ingraham High School

Posted on April 22nd, 2010 | Comments Off on Send Mayor McGinn an Earth Day Message to Save the Trees at Ingraham High School

Threatened NW Tree Grove at Ingraham High School

Today is Earth Day. For over two years the Seattle School District has been trying to add an addition to Ingraham High School by cutting down over 50 trees in the conifer madrone grove in the above picture. What a great environmental message this sends our children. The City of Seattle has twice approved the permit for the project despite the Seattle Hearing Examiner ruling in favor of the neighbors and Save the Trees-Seattle trying to save the 70 year old 100 foot tall Douglas fir, western red cedar and Pacific madrone trees in the grove.

The Seattle Hearing Examiner ruled that the grove comprised an uncommon and rare plant association in the City of Seattle that city law says should be protected. The Seattle School District in written documents and e-mails discovered during the Hearing process has selected the open North lawn in the picture above as the building site for a future addition but refuses to move the current project to that site.  The Seattle School District has re-filed a slightly revised plan to build in the grove despite the negative ruling by the Seattle Hearing Examiner.

The latest project proposal to cut down the trees has been before the city’s Department of Planning and Development since last September. It’s time to quit wasting the taxpayers’ dollars, ignoring the city’s mandate to increase the city’s tree canopy, and city law to protect our urban forest.  Cutting down mature trees for no good reason except not wanting to listen to the public is not being a good neighbor or a partner in preserving our city’s environmental health and our quality of life.

Please e-mail Mayor Michael McGinn and tell him to deny the School District’s current proposed building site.  Under current city law requiring the city to protect rare and uncommon plant and animal habitat, he has the authority to tell DPD to require the School District to save and protect the uncommon plant habitat on their grounds and to build elsewhere on the campus, like the open North lawn.

For Pete’s sake, it’s Earth Day and isn’t McGinn an environmentalist?

Click on this link to send your comments to Mayor McGinn. Thanks

http://www.seattle.gov/mayor/citizen_response.htm

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Press release on Saving Waldo Woods from Maple Leaf Community Council

Posted on March 18th, 2010 | Comments Off on Press release on Saving Waldo Woods from Maple Leaf Community Council

March 17, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

** Waldo Woods Permanently Preserved **

(SEATTLE, WA) – The Maple Leaf Community Council Executive Board is pleased to announce the permanent preservation of Waldo Woods.

Ordinance 116794 was passed by the Seattle City Council Monday, March 8. Confirmation was received today that Seattle Mayor Michael McGinn has signed the legislation. This ordinance represents the last step in the process where the Seattle Parks Department takes possession of a conservation easement for Waldo Woods. The effect of the conservation easement is the permanent preservation of Waldo Woods, an urban grove of mature, native Douglas firs.

“When we started this process nearly four years ago,” stated Waldo Woods Working Group head David Miller, “we didn’t know whether we’d be successful or not. Through the support of hundreds of people from across Seattle, today we’ve managed to permanently save this unique grove of trees.”

The Maple Leaf Community Council applied for a King County Conservation Futures grant three years ago in the hopes of saving Waldo Woods, an intact and healthy 80 tree grove on the eastern 1/3 of the Waldo Hospital property at 15th Avenue NE and NE 85th Street in the north Seattle Maple Leaf neighborhood. The council succeeded in its pitch, and secured a $300,000 grant from King County to preserve Waldo Woods.

In March 2009, the Maple Leaf Community Council won a court case proving the Seattle Department of Planning and Development (DPD) did not adequately assess the significant environmental impact and harm to surrounding residents from the planned demolition of historic Waldo Hospital. Shortly after the loss in court, the developer planning to remove the building and most of the trees and replace them with forty townhomes averaging $650,000 each terminated their plans.

That’s when the Menachem Mendal Seattle Cheder (MMSC) Day School stepped in and bought the property with the intention of remodeling the building into a new school. They agreed to preserve Waldo Woods, and worked closely with the Seattle Parks Department and the Maple Leaf Community Council to make that happen. MMSC will trade over $600,000 in development potential for the $300,000 in King County Conservation Futures money, using this money to help remodel Waldo Hospital into their new school.

“Our community generated enough visibility for this project to result in today’s outcome,” noted Maple Leaf Community Council President Marc Phillips. “We’re very proud our effort, joined by other groups across the city, also resulted in better tree grove preservation rules for all of Seattle.”

Conservation easements do not actually transfer ownership of the property, only the development rights on that property. MMSC retains ownership of the property and will make a portion of Waldo Woods accessible to the public. MMSC, Parks, and the Maple Leaf community will cooperate to manage and maintain Waldo Woods on an ongoing basis.

The Maple Leaf Community Council would like to thank Seattle City Councilmembers Richard Conlin, Nick Licata, Tim Burgess, Tom Rasmussen, Sally Clark, and Sally Bagshaw; King County Councilmember Bob Ferguson; Seattle Parks Superintendent Tim Gallagher; MMSC’s Mark Goldberg; Parks Department staffers Chip Nevin and Don Harris; David Mann from the law firm of Gendler & Mann; Kathy George formerly with Cassady Law; and the hundreds of people from across Seattle who wrote letters, attended dozens of meetings, and donated money. Without considerable support from these people, this would never have happened. A special acknowledgement to Mayor Michael McGinn and the entire Seattle City Council for rapidly moving this legislation through the process.

# # #
Contact:

Maple Leaf Community Council Waldo Woods Working Group subcommittee
David Miller, Chair
206-517-5520
David.Miller@MapleLeafCommunity.org

Maple Leaf Community Council Executive Board
Marc Phillips, President
206-276-2567
Marc. Phillips@MapleLeafCommunity.org

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Kirk Prindle Running for King Conservation District Election Today

Posted on March 16th, 2010 | Comments Off on Kirk Prindle Running for King Conservation District Election Today

Kirk Prindle is a wildlife biologist. He’s running hard for the sole seat open this year on the King Conservation District.  Kirk’s not alone in running for the seat but he seems driven and passionate in bringing his skills and background to represent the voters in King County.  He’s currently serving on the Seattle Urban Forestry Commission.

The King Conservation District is one of these little known public agencies that collects property tax dollars and spends it, but most voters hear or know little about it, let alone know that 3 of the 5 commissioners are publicly elected.  The election this year is today, Tuesday March 16, 2010.  You can only vote in person at one of 7 library sites in King County from 10:30 AM to 8 PM. The Seattle Public Library location is only open until 7:30 PM.

Voting information is as follows from the King Conservation District website:

All registered voters who reside within the District boundaries are eligible to vote in the election. District boundaries include all of King County, except the cities of Federal Way, Enumclaw, Skykomish, Milton and Pacific. Voters must present proper identification, such as a driver’s license, passport or birth certificate.

Auburn
King County Library/Auburn Branch
1102 Auburn Way South, Auburn WA 98002
Poll hours 10:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Bellevue
King County Library/Bellevue Regional Branch
1111 110th Avenue NE, Bellevue WA 98004
Poll hours 10:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Carnation
King County Library/Carnation Branch
4804 Tolt Avenue, Carnation WA 98014
Poll hours 10:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Des Moines
King County Library/Des Moines Branch
21620 11th Avenue S., Des Moines WA 98198
Poll hours 10:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Seattle
Seattle Public Library (Downtown Main Branch)
1000 Fourth Ave., Seattle WA 98104
Poll hours 10:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.

ShorelineKing County Library/Shoreline Branch
345 NE 175th, Shoreline WA 98155
Poll hours 10:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Vashon
King County Library/Vashon Island Branch
17210 Vashon Highway S.W., Vashon Island, WA 98070
Poll Hours 10:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

You can get more information about all 5 candidates running by going to the King Conservation District candidate page.

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Urban Forest and Tree Protection Laws

Posted on February 2nd, 2010 | 2 comments

The Seattle Urban Forestry Commission is reviewing our tree protection ordinance and will be recommending chages needed to help increase our urban forest canopy to meet the 30% canopy cover adopted by the city. We are currently at about 23% canopy cover but are losing trees in our park areas due to invasive species like blackberry and ivy.  The biggest potential new tree cover is private property.  The city has actually mapped out potential areas for canopy growth. But a new ordinance and plan is necessary to effectively implement a policy to increase our tree canopy.

Here are links to some articles relevant to developing and strengthening our urban forest and tree protection laws that I found helpful:

Urban Tree Conservation: A White Paper on Local Ordinances
Sept 2007, Montgomery Tree Committee. 68 pages

This paper deals with”conservation of urban forests on private land” and is one of the best overviews I have found. It discusses and compares many different ordinances and approaches it from a holistic viewpoint, looking not just at trees but also biodiversity and ecosystem concerns.

Tree Ordinance Development Guidebook
Sept 2005 by the Georgia Forestry Commission, Urban and Community Forestry Program. 25 pages

This Guidebook is not very long but it has a good overview, including a Tree Board/Tree Ordinance Evaluation, and a Resource List.

Guideline for Developing and Evaluating Tree Ordinances
International Society of Arboriculture, Oct 2001. 181 pages a real compendium of information on tree ordinance issues

October 2010 update:

several other links also provide guidance in developing a tree ordinance.

http://www.scenic.org/tree/model_ordinance –
Scenic America – outlines key elements of a model tree protection ordinance

http://conservationtools.org/tools/general/show/37
Tree Ordinance – ConservationTools.org – a good 7 page overview

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Seattle Urban Forestry Commission Off to a Fast Start

Posted on February 1st, 2010 | Comments Off on Seattle Urban Forestry Commission Off to a Fast Start

The newly formed Seattle Urban Foresrty Commission held their first meeting in December. Since then the original 8 members have selected the 9th Commissioner, elected a Chair and Vice Chair, reviewed and approved their operating bylaws, held a half day briefing retreat and agreed to start reviewing Seattle’s  tree regulations in preparation for new legislation. The Commission is taking their charge seriously and are getting down to business.

The Urban Forestry’s next meeting is this Wednesday Feb 3, 2010 from 3 PM to 5 PM in the Seattle Municipal Tower, Room 1940. Regular meetings of The Urban Forestry Commission will be held on the first Wednesday of each month.  Meeting dates and locations are posted on the Urban Forestry Commission website. 

 Responding to public comment in their drafting of byalws, the Commission will allow 15 minutes at the beginning of their monthly meetings for public comment. Individuals will be limited to 3 minutes. Written comments will also be accepted.

The Commission also agreed to the posting of their meeting minutes and agendas on the internet, and most importantly, also posting of meeting handouts and briefing papers on their website. You can view these by going to Meeting Documents page. In particular two documents dealing with previous city review of its tree protection laws are available and will be discussed at their next meeting.  These are:
Emerald City Task Force Recommendations – 2007
Environmental and Tree Advocates Recommendations -2008

Below are the names of the nine Commissioners and the positions they represent on the Board. Elizabeta Stacishin-Moura, a landscape architect,  was elected the Commission Chair and Matt Mega of the Seattle Audubon was elected the Vice-Chair. They will each serve a term of one year in their positions.

1: Wildlife Biologist  – Kirk Prindle

2: Urban Ecologist – John Small

3: Natural Resource Agency or University Representative – Gordon Bradley

4: Hydrologist or Similar Professional  – Peg Staeheli

5: Arborist – John Hushagen

6: Landscape Architect – Elizabeta Stacishin-Moura

7: NGO Representative  – Matt Mega

8: Development Community or Utility Representative – Jeff Reibman

9: Economist, Financial Analyst, Realtor or Similar Professional  – Nancy Bird

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Ingraham High School Remand to DPD Victory for Public Process

Posted on September 15th, 2009 | Comments Off on Ingraham High School Remand to DPD Victory for Public Process

Threatened NW Tree Grove at Ingraham High School

 

Save the Trees-Seattle scored another victory in their battle to stop the Seattle School District from needlesssly destroying part of an uncommon plant habitat at Ingraham High. In their second appeal hearing before the Seattle Hearing Examiner, they again got a remand of the project proposal back to the Seattle Department of Planning and Development.

Earlier this year, Save the Trees-Seattle forced a remand of the Ingraham High School Addition back to the city because they had not looked at the impact of building the addition in an uncommon plant habitat, a conifer madrone forest habitat that the city law says should be protected. Specifically SMC 25.05.675 directs that “It is the city’s policy to minimize or prevent the loss of wildlife habitat or other vegetation which have substantial aesthetic, educational, ecological,and or economic value”.

The Seattle School District, rather than moving the project out of the conifer madrone rare plant association, instead slightly reduced the size of the project by removing an open courtyard and resubmitted the project to the city. DPD again approved the Project despite lacking any printed rules or guidelines as to evaluating its impact on the uncommon conifer madrone forest habitat.

Save the Trees-Seattle appealed the decision to the Seattle Hearing Examiner.

Save the Trees-Seattle in prehearing motions before Seattle Hearing Examiner Anne Watanabe argued that “DPD erred because it did not issue public notice of the revised School District application or provide a public comment period on the application, as required by SMC 23.76.012.”

In a quick ruling yesterday Watanabe noted that “It is undisputed that DPD did not provide notice or a public comment period on the revised application.”

Anne Watanabe’s ruling also noted that “The Code provides no exemption from the notice and public comment period requirements, even if the new application and resulting decision are in response to a Hearing Examiner decision.”

In conclusion Watanabe stated, “While it is regrettable to postpone resolution of issues raised in these appeals, the matter must be remanded to DPD to provide the required notice and comment period. “
Below is the relevant part of Keith Scully’s brief. Scully is a member of the Gendler Mann law firm and represented Save the Trees-Seattle.

“While SMC 23.76 does not spell out the requirements for public notice upon a remand and then redesign, SMC 23.76’s mandate to provide “notice of application and an opportunity for public comment” to the public with the intent to “promote informed public participation in discretionary land use decisions ” mandates a new public comment period on the District’s new design. Were the Examiner to hold otherwise, a project proponent could submit some outlandish proposal (a heliport in a residential zone, for instance), have it remanded, and then come up with a radically different design without any public comment on the new proposal. The new design and new decision in this case mandated a new notice of appeal and filing fee: it also mandates a new public comment period so other members of the public besides the appellants can have “informed public participation” in the discretionary review of the District’s new proposal”

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