City Trees Always Under Threat!

Shoreline's Tree Canopy seems to be in the news consistently. Now another row of mature street trees is threatened by City policies.

One of at least FIFTEEN street trees
slated for removal on N 155th in Shoreline.

At least 15 Sweet Gum trees that are likely 4 decades old and just now reaching significant size and canopy breadth, are targetted with special signs announcing their demise and inviting citizens to call a special number.

North 155th is one of many major corridors lined with beautiful street trees in Shoreline, which give it great character.

View of N 155th looking East towards the freeway. The trees
offer a wonderful framing and respite for
pedestrians and drivers.

The policy being carried out by public works staff, is an area by area "sidewalk" enhancement program, designed to eliminate "bumps" that are caused by tree roots pushing up sidewalks. These raised sidewalks cause hazards for pedestrians. These problems are caused, because of inadequate space for the trees to grow. On Aurora, the city and state are spending many millions of dollars with "Silva Cell" tree pits that are an excellent way to prevent this problem. But meanwhile, unimaginative policies are now threatening trees, block-by-block, and year after year.

Shoreline has had many tree controversies over the years. Currently, there are at least two other battles going on over trees, including the Bear Reserve in Innis Arden, and the Interurban Trail/Westminster Triangle, City Light tree cutting proposal. Neither of these is resolved currently.
Shoreline does NOT have a real tree ordinance. Its tree policies are sprinkled throughout the code. In the last several years many citizens have sought to create a true tree ordinance, however the current council has in the last few months declined to work for an improved tree ordinance that would actually protect its trees and to have a goal for increasing the tree canopy. The State passed the Evergreen Communities Act which sought to give cities and counties the tools to create workable tree ordinances that increased tree canopy. Rep Ruth Kagi was the prime sponsor. Lake Forest Park, Edmonds and Seattle all have somewhat more effective tree ordinances.

The benefits of trees are widely known and there are easy online methods of calculating individual trees' values. One is called "I-Tree", a state-of-the-art, peer-reviewed software suite from USDA. You can analyze your own neighborhood trees' benefits using this software HERE.
http://www.itreetools.org/about.php

In 2010, these policies resulted in the loss of about 15-20 major street trees on 15th NE.

Two large London Plan Trees were saved at
the Ridgecrest/Briarcrest Gateway.
This tree conceals an ugly cell tower.

Now apparently the city is targetting a different location. Citizens should be very wary of these signs and possible loss of trees in your neighborhood.

A reasonable question could be asked as to whether any other alternatives could be carried out, and what is the criteria for cutting these particular trees?

Back in 2010, citizens made a major effort to save a couple of significant trees that serve as a "gateway" to the Southeast Subarea at 15th NE. Two large London Plane Trees were saved and survive to this day because staff looked for a suitable alternative to cutting those trees. The sidewalk was repaired AROUND the roots. 

Most people whom you ask why they moved to Shoreline, will say "schools and trees" and maybe they moved in order to find an affordable house (with trees!)
A reasonable person could ask, how many of these tree massacres do we have to endure?
How many trees can we cut without really jeopardizing our true character?

Hey Shoreline! What is pictured in your logo? Remember?

You can contact the City of Shoreline with your comments at - http://www.cityofshoreline.com/index.aspx?page=259
Mark Relph, Director -801-2401

or City Council -
http://www.cityofshoreline.com/index.aspx?recordid=10&page=36

council@shorelinewa.gov

What Is the Future of Shoreline's Trees?

Celebrating Sixth Month - Of Paramount Importance Blog!


Shoreline is a place with an image based on trees and green spaces. 

But many of our trees are now at risk.

photo credit - Ken Winnuck

This tree is one of two large trees left at the "city gateway"

at 15th NE. It now conceals an ugly cell tower, but was slated to be removed because of conflicts with the sidewalks and a driveway. Two other huge London Plane Trees were removed from this intersection in May to the shock of many residents.

There are several projects going on in Shoreline that will impact our signature element - trees. Our City logo contains trees and our City "Vision" emphasizes trees as important.

Yet the City seems to have a conflicted value system now, especially when it comes to street trees.

Photo credit -Vicki Westberg

Three "signature trees" were cut at Shoreline's 15th Ave "gateway" last month.

Many of our street trees are just becoming mature now, since many of them were planted during the "Forward Thrust" era in the 1960's and 70's. The infrastructure here, sidewalks, drainage, street ROW (Right of Ways), were all built back in the 50's and 60's (and even earlier). The streets were mostly planned and built earlier.

So we have an older network built for automobiles, and pedestrian elements were kind of an after thought.

The street trees were planted also without much forethought. So many of those trees have grown up, and through no fault of their own are intruding into the sidewalks.

Photo credit - Vicki Westberg

Located just N of Crest Cinema. Could this sidewalk be "looped around" into adjacent lot.

Can we work with neighbors to save some street trees?

So the question that City staff and the people who care about the trees face is, how to handle the tree roots vs sidewalks conflicts? How is the value of these trees to our self image as a community and the ecological benefits the trees provide, balanced with the conflicts created with sidewalks and other infrastucture?

Now at least 35 large street trees are targetted by city staff for removal in Ridgecrest neighborhood.
Many of us a wondering where this will end and have many questions.  After the 15th NE incident, staff posted the 35 trees to be cut with signs to warn neighbors. That's a good step, but what is the process for
"alternatives analysis"? How can the people affected engage in the process?

Photo credit - Vicki Westberg

Some key questions for the City and Community to consider:

• If trees are in our City Vision, why don't we have a Tree Commission or Urban Forestry Board?
We have many other boards and Commissions to give citizen oversight to City functions such as, Planning Commission, Parks Board, Human Services, Economic Development, et, etc. But no advisory boards in the Public Works area. If we want to be a Tree City, USA (Arbor Day Foundation), we need a Tree Board. (LFP has an Environmental Quality Commission)

• Aren't our trees (public and private) a key element of our character as a community?

• What is the criteria being used to judge these trees and their worthiness? How was that criteria arrived at?

• What possible alternatives are examined as to the tree's worthiness? Can there be other sidewalk treatments that could save the tree? Can you work with the neighbor to "loop around" the tree?
Is there an arborist helping the City do the analysis?

• What is the "value" of each tree? Monetarily, economically, environmentally, aesthetically, health wise?

• How does the Street and Public Trees planning fit in with the upcoming Tree Ordinance proposal coming before the Planning Commission? Aren't the Public Trees an intrinsic part of our overall tree canopy?

• How can citizens who care about the quality of life here engage on these issues? Can the City Council establish a process for a Tree Plan for our City?

These are questions that are in many citizens minds as we face a future with all of our old trees disappearing.  How can we save them? Perhaps some have to go, but ALL OF THEM?

Urban Tree Preservation: More Than Just Landscaping

Guest Blog Post by Attorney Keith Scully

Keith is an attorney with Gendler-Mann law firm. His practice focuses on environmental and land use matters, complex commercial litigation, civil rights litigation, and appeals from both administrative decisions and trial. 

Reminder - A Shoreline Tree Information meeting takes place TONITE, Wed., 3/24 at Richmond Beach Congregational Church, 6:30- 8:30.

Urban Tree Preservation:  More Than Just Landscaping

Shoreline is on the cusp of enacting a permanent tree preservation ordinance.  In so doing, Shoreline’s elected leaders and residents must consider the myriad benefits of trees on private property, and balance that against the need to ensure that private property rights are respected, and ensure an ordinance is created that citizens will want to follow rather than resist.

Most of us are long past the point of thinking of trees as just pretty green things.  We are well-justified in our belief that trees are one of the most important components of environmental protection.  According to studies cited by the Colorado Tree Coalition, a single mature tree can absorb carbon dioxide at a rate of 48 pounds per year and release enough oxygen back into the atmosphere to support 2 human beings. Homeowners who properly place trees in their landscape can realize savings up to 58% on daytime air conditioning and as high as 65% for mobile homes. If applied nationwide to buildings not now benefiting from trees, the shade could reduce our nation’s consumption of oil by 500,000 barrels of oil/day.

In fact, a single large yard tree:

-                 • Absorbs 10 lbs of air pollutants, including 4 lbs of ozone and 3 lbs of particulates.

-         • Intercepts 760 gal of rainfall in its crown, thereby reducing runoff of polluted stormwater and flooding.

-         • Cleans 330 lbs of CO2 (90 lbs C) from the atmosphere through direct sequestration in the tree's wood

              and reduced power plant emissions due to cooling energy savings. This tree reduces the same amount 

              of atmospheric CO2 as released by a typical car driven 500 miles.

-         • Adds about 1% to the sales price of the property.

See http://www.coloradotrees.org/benefits.htm . But protecting trees in an urban environment is a challenge, and, like most environmental legislation, a good tree preservation ordinance balances private property rights with environmental benefits.  Making sure private property rights are respected is valuable both because property rights have their own importance, and because regulations that are too draconian lead to dissent and lawbreaking. 

A good tree preservation ordinance recognizes the value of trees, and prevents landowners from removing especially valuable species, while still recognizing that the urban tree canopy must be able to change over time.  A good tree preservation ordinance prioritizes native species over non-native species, and places high value on species like Douglas Fir that provide extensive water quality, carbon storage, and wildlife habitat benefits.  A good tree ordinance also recognizes that trees en masse – either simply in a grove, or in a plant association with other species like salal and madrone - provides more value than do individual species.  A good tree ordinance provides incentives – like reduced setbacks, or density credits – for protecting trees, and penalties if the ordinance is violated and a valuable tree cut without ensuring that it will be mitigated with new plantings.  As for mitigation, it is not simply enough to drop a few seedlings into the ground and pretend there is no impact: tree starts must be of the right native species, and a maintenance and watering plan in place to ensure they survive the critical first few years.

 The ordinance cannot go too far – simply preventing any tree removal, without allowing some development of a particular parcel, violates the Constitution’s reasonable use guarantees.  But it also must have some genuine teeth to it, and ensure that landowners and real estate developers don’t have an economic incentive to simply cut the trees despite the ordinance because the penalty is so low that it is cost-effective to remove the tree.

As Shoreline considers its permanent tree protection measures, these important factors must be balanced to ensure its tree preservation ordinance preserves these valuable environmental assets, while at the same time recognizing that individual property owners must have some flexibility to develop their properties in order to ensure that Shoreline stays economically strong and at an appropriate urban density.

 Keith Scully

Attorney at Law

Gendler & Mann, LLP

1424 Fourth Avenue, Suite 715

Seattle, WA  98101

direct: 206.442.6831  mobile: 206.446.5491  fax: 206.621.0512

keith@gendlermann.com

www.gendlermann.com