Planning 2016-11-10 Item 4 - TMC Chapter 18.52 Landscaping Code Update: Attachment F - Daryl Tapio Email with Attachments

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Daryl Tapio P.O. Box 69736, Seattle WA 98168, Email. dtolyn:picr&ahoo.com. Phone (206)931 -3998 Is the goal of this effort about trees or is it about control? This is a fundamental question that needs to be adequately discussed and answered definitively. It also should be clearly specified in the Comp Plan. If this effort is truly about trees and achieving a certain percentage of tree canopy in each zone, then the goal can be met by the second approach described above with relative ease. We are fortunate enough to live in a climate that is virtually ideal for growing trees. They grow quickly and if properly selected and planted require very little maintenance or watering. I have planted many trees in the area and some of the trees planted four years ago are now 8 to 10 feet in height. On some of my property a grove of trees appeared without planting, both coniferous and deciduous, and many grew to heights of 30 feet in 5 years. The staff proposed Comp Plan- embraces the negative approach. I have attached a copy of the Staff Comp Plan Proposal with all of the sections highlighted in yellow that could result in regulations, fees, permits, and ultimately transferring the control of trees from property owners to the city. In the meetings I have attended and listened to it is apparent that there is nobody on the committee or in the room with first -hand experience in the areas of building homes or small -site development. This is a critical piece of the puzzle that is missing. The discussion of the committee is a one -sided discussion. Without input from property owners who want to improve their property and have permitting and construction experience it is impossible to create a policy that would allow efficient redevelopment in a city that desperately needs more redevelopment. Some of the discussion at the last meeting was offensive, outrageous and truly despicable. A committee member referred to creating an enforcement policy that embraced high fines and financial penalties on property owners for cutting or pruning their own trees as follows: "HIT THEM HARD! We may not catch every one, but those that we do, MAKE THEM PAY! MAKE AN EXAMPLE!" The most telling part of this discussion was that nobody in the room countered this statement or said that they disagreed. A policy created in this environment will not result in a harmonious relationship between property owners and the city. The committee and city staff are deliberately ignoring empirical data, presenting a one -sided argument and proposing Comp Plan amendments that would lead to transferring the control over trees from the property owners to the city. There is a better policy choice that would lead to better relationships with property owners and builders and result in a better and greener city. The Mayor, Council, and management needs to provide clear direction on this issue prior to more city resource expenditures. Sincerely, Daryl Tapio Attachments: Highlighted Comp Plan Proposal, Tree Canopy Report p. 17 Tapio Letter, Page 2 of 2