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ATTACHMENT F <br />Carol Lumb <br />From: Daryl Tapio <dtolympic @yahoo.com> <br />Sent: Wednesday, August 10, 201611:05 AM <br />To: Mayor, Tukwila City Council; Carol Lumb; Nora Gierloff <br />Subject: Tukwila Tree Ordinance Update <br />Attachments: Tukwila Tree Letter 031213.pdf <br />Tukwila Mayor, City Council, and City Planners, <br />I have been informed that Tukwila is starting a process to update the Tree and Landscaping Ordinance in the <br />coming year. <br />I have owned property in the city for over 20 years and have built many houses in Tukwila. I also attended the <br />Tree Committee meetings in March 2013 which led to updating the Comprehensive Plan. Attached is a letter I <br />prepared regarding tree policy that I sent to the city as well as many citizens in the community at that time (See <br />attached). <br />Tukwila prepared a Tree Canopy Report in 2012 which identified the current conditions. The assessment <br />indicated that Tukwila property owners, who currently have control over their trees, are doing an exceptional <br />job in maintaining a high level of tree canopy. For the residential single family neighborhood the canopy was <br />47 %, for multifamily 51 %, numbers much higher than other cities. <br />People like trees and landscaping and plant them on their own without government controls. Trees also start <br />growing on their own and thrive in this climate. <br />Creating tree regulations which always transfer rights from the property owners to the city creates added work <br />for the city, is highly controversial, and is not something many property owners favor. It also makes building <br />and developing more difficult, expensive, and frustrating. There are many reasons and justifications for <br />removing, altering, and planting landscaping and having the city and neighbors highly involved in the decision <br />making process makes it a cumbersome process. <br />Please keep in mind that control over a tree either lies with the the property owner or the city. There is no <br />middle ground, one or the other has control. If a permit is required or a city planner needs to agree if a tree be <br />removed then the city has control. Currently, property owners have control over their trees with the exception <br />of trees within critical areas. If changes are made to the ordinance which require city approval that will be a <br />major transfer of rights from property owners to the city. <br />I look forward to being part of this discussion and will assist in informing other property owners on proposed <br />changes to the tree ordinance. <br />Sincerely, <br />Daryl Tapio. <br />95 <br />