When builders look to clear-cut residential heaps to place in additional housing, they usually level to road bushes as a viable different to preserving the town inexperienced.
However Seattle can’t accomplish its personal tree cover objectives with out preserving and defending current bushes on personal properties.
That’s the takeaway of a Seattle Division of Transportation study unveiled final June that checked out road tree planting alternatives in 4 census tracts that signify situations throughout the town.
It’s a datapoint that Seattle Metropolis Councilmembers should weigh closely as they start voting on the One Seattle Complete Plan this week.
Out of greater than 100 amendments, two give attention to saving Seattle’s largest bushes: No. 93 and No. 102, each sponsored by Councilmember Maritza Rivera.
The SDOT examine reveals that even best-case eventualities for bushes on public proper of means come woefully in need of the town’s goal of 30% tree cover throughout all private and non-private areas by 2037.
The Capitol Hill neighborhood has 15% tree cover protection. After inspecting doable planting alternatives, SDOT decided that even when all potential road bushes are planted, the forecast cover protection can be solely 20%.
In Southwest Seattle, the Roxhill neighborhood presently has 18% tree cover. If all potential road bushes are planted, that goes as much as 23% — nicely beneath the 30% aim.
It’s the identical story in Sodo. The economic neighborhood’s present tree cover is simply 9%. That rises to 10% if all doable road bushes are planted.
In South Park, planting road bushes gained’t convey aid to residents involved about warmth islands and lack of inexperienced house. In accordance with the SDOT examine, South Park’s present tree cover of 14% rises solely to 16% if all potential road bushes are literally planted — nicely beneath the 30% cover aim.
“Every neighborhood faces challenges: house limitations, utility conflicts, and upkeep issues that restrict tree planting alternatives,” learn a submit on SDOT’s weblog.
The underside line: Seattle wants to extend housing density whereas additionally defending bushes on residential heaps. There merely isn’t sufficient house between the streets and the sidewalks to maintain the town livable and verdant.
Right here’s what Birds Connect Seattle (previously Seattle Audubon Society) has to say concerning the laws now earlier than council.
Modification 93: “This modification would assure a minimal tree planting space to offer bushes the room they should survive and thrive.”
Modification 102: “This modification would streamline the tree safety ordinance by making a single, extra versatile definition of ‘tree safety space,’ which determines whether or not protected bushes could also be eliminated throughout improvement.”
These two items of laws work in tandem. Passing one with out the opposite solely pays lips service to tree safety.
Councilmembers Rob Saka, Mark Solomon, Pleasure Hollingsworth, Maritza Rivera, Debora Juarez, Dan Strauss, Bob Kettle, Alexis Mercedes Rinck, Sara Nelson: Give the town one thing to cheer. Champion what makes Seattle nice. Approve the tree safety amendments.
