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Nuisance tree removal CRA20210099CITY OF EDMONDS 121 5t" Avenue North, Edmonds WA 98020 Phone: 425.771.0220 • Fax: 425.771.0221 • Web: www.edmondswa.gov DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT • PLANNING DIVISION `ne. I STJ June 8, 2021 Rick Steves 746 Edmonds Way Edmonds, WA 98020 Subject: Hazard Tree Removal Dear Mr. Steves, The City of Edmonds has received a request to remove four Leyland cypress trees from your property located at 746 Edmonds Street. The trees are located in the southwest corner of the property The tree stands on a slope that exceeds 25 percent grade, which is considered a critical area pursuant to Chapter 23.80 of the Edmonds Community Development Code (ECDC). Generally, the removal of trees, or any vegetation, within a critical area or critical area buffer is not an allowed activity, unless: 1) pursuant to ECDC 23.40.220.C.8, it involves the removal of invasive species or hazard tree, or 2) the tree(s) are documented nuisance tree(s) per ECDC 23.10.040.F. In order to fall under the nuisance tree provisions of ECDC 23.10.040.F, a tree must be documented as a nuisance by a qualified tree professional. The request was to remove four Leyland cypress trees. One tree was documented as a nuisance by certified arborist Katy Bigelow. The other three trees are not documented nuisance or hazard trees and must be processed through a separate application. Pursuant to ECDC 23.40.220.C.8.b.iv each nuisance tree removed within a critical area or critical area buffer must be replaced with new native trees at a ratio of two to one. It has been indicated that you propose to replace the one Leyland cypress with two vine maples (acer circinatum). An exemption for the tree cutting is granted with the following conditions: This approval only pertains to the one Leyland cypress most adjacent to the house. The other three trees do not meet the criteria for removal under this application. If removal of these three trees is desired, please submit a Geotech report that states the slope will not be destabilized by removal of the trees. Removal of non -hazard trees in critical areas are processed at Type -II decisions with required notice to the neighbors. Fees for Type -II decisions are $970 + $40 technology surcharge. Informational Handout —Tree and vegetation removal Land Use Application Two trees must be planted to replace the subject Leyland cypress. The replacement trees must be native and indigenous in accordance with ECDC 23.40.220.C.8.b.iv. The proposed replacement tree listed above is an appropriate replacement tree species. Alternative species must be approved by the City of Edmonds. 3. Replacement trees must be planted within one year of removal of the hazard trees. Please notify the City once the replacement trees have been replanted for an inspection. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions at Brad.Shipley@edmondswa.gov, or 425-771-0220. Sincerely, b� Brad Shipley Associate Planner Encl: Arborist Report Katy Bigelow 206.351.1375 arboristkaty@gmail.com May 26, 2021 Rick Steves 746 Edmonds St, Edmonds, WA 98020 Dear Mr. Steves: Thank you for asking me to provide a memo with observations and recommendations for a treed hedge growing on a slope close to your home. To evaluate the vegetation addressed in this letter I combined my field experience and education with current accepted practices as defined by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA). The tools I used to make this assessment were limited to binoculars, compass, diameter tape, hand trowel and laser pointer. A visual tree assessment and other methods are only conclusive for the day of inspection and do not guarantee that conditions will remain the same in the future. I was asked by Mr. Steves to provide a memo detailing recommendations for work on four Leyland cypress (Cuprocyparis leylandii) trees planted to become a screening hedge prior to his owning the property. This memo can also be used for applying for a critical area vegetation alteration permit from the City of Edmonds. On May 24, 20211 completed a Level 2 tree assessment. All levels of tree assessment are explained in an attachment to this report. The four trees discussed below all grow at the top of a small area on the southeast corner of Mr. Steve's property (Photos 1-2). Based on their close proximity to each other and based on information from adjoining neighbors I believe the trees were originally installed for screening purposes to create a fast growing hedge prior to Mr. Steve's owning the home. After the home was acquired by Mr. Steves, the hedge was left unmaintained for approximately the last ten years and they have grown out of hedge shape. All of the trees are exposed to wind and other weather elements. The slope the plants were Tree assessment — Steves 746 Edmonds St., Edmonds, WA 5/26/2021 installed on has extremely dry and sandy soils that a hand trowel easily penetrates. Overall, though the trees are in fair condition they have a very limited area in which to grow and develop their normally shallow root plate. Based on this, it is likely that the trees move more in windy weather than average due to soil type and element exposure. The area of slope that the tree canopy covers is approximately 800 square feet. Part of this canopy coverage is of a vertical retaining wall below (west of) the trees rather than soil. Understory groundcover consisting of salal and vinca both grow just inside the driplines of the trees on the east side of where the trees were planted. These groundcovers are growing off property but cover part of the area under the dripline of the tree. Otherwise, the soil directly around and under the trees is covered with needle litter from normal needle dieback and leaves from nearby trees (Photo 3). Tree risk assessment is a qualification that can be obtained through the ISA (International Society of Arboriculture). The TRAQ (Tree Risk Assessment Qualification) methodology has improved risk assessment by teaching assessors to follow a consistent format for examining a tree. Additionally, the TRAQ protocol includes defined terms for tree risk. The four terms under the risk category Likelihood of Failure are Imminent, Probable, Possible and Improbable. Imminent as defined in the TRAQ manual is an infrequent observance that would involve immediate risk mitigation to prevent damage to a nearby target. The majority of trees I and other tree risk assessors observe usually fall into the middle categories of Possible or Probable Likelihood of Failure. Very rarely is a tree rated "Imminent" observed. To assist in visualizing how a tree risk assessor determines risk, the following matrix used as part of the protocols can be referred to below: Tree assessment — Sieves 746 Edmonds St., Edmonds, WA 5/26/2021 Matrix I. Likelihood matrix. Likelihood of Failure Likelihood of Impact Very low Low Medium High Imminent Unlikely Somewhat likely Likely Very likely Probable Unlikely Unlikely Somewhat likely Likely Possible Unlikely Unlikely Unlikely Somewhat likely Improbable Unlikely Unlikely Unlikely Unlikely Matrix 2. Risk rating matrix. Likelihood of Failure & Impact Consequences of Failure Negligible Minor Significant Severe Very likely Low Moderate High Extreme Likely Low Moderate High High Somewhat likely Low Low Moderate Moderate Unlikely Low Low Low Low At this time, only one of the four cypress trees would be considered a high risk — this would be risk of the northernmost trees' roots damaging the home by roots pressing against the foundation and stucco siding and stem proximity to the roof where it nearly touches (Photo 4). Roots have also started to surround the area where the downspout from the roof enters the ground (Photo 5). There is no reasonable option for reducing root damage to either target long term other than removing this tree. However, it is also my opinion that the removal of this single tree would increase the possibility of the remaining three trees moving in the wind potentially causing soil movement and having more limbs damaged in inclement weather conditions. This wouldn't occur immediately but could rapidly as the trees would immediately have to respond to changed environmental conditions rather than having time to adapt. Finally, the trees next to the northernmost tree likely has a very limited root base having competed with the northernmost tree its whole life; it would be more likely to fail at its base after its companion was removed. Although the cypress could be treated as individual trees it is my strong professional opinion based on my observations, the information gained from surrounding neighbors about the intent of the planting, and the trees exposure to weather conditions that this situation should be treated as the assessment of an overgrown hedge. My recommendations therefore are: 1) At the very least, remove the tree closest to the home to the ground and reshape the remaining trees into a hedge, removing up to half of their height and shearing their sides Tree assessment — Steves 746 Edmonds St., Edmonds, WA 5/26/2021 inward several feet. This process would have to be completed annually for as long as the hedge remained. OR: 2) (Recommended) Remove the four hedged trees to the ground and replant nearby with tree and shrub species better suited as long term solutions to soil, ground water uptake and canopy coverage for this small portion of the property. I strongly advocate for this action based on the species, slope and soil conditions in this area of Mr. Steve's property. There is currently no regulation in the critical area or definition section of the Edmonds Municipal Code that defines or provides guidance specifically for hedges that were created using tree species. However, there is language guiding the "alteration" of vegetation (hedge) in ECDC 23.40.005: "Alteration" means any human -induced action which changes the existing condition of a critical area or its buffer. Alterations include, but are not limited to: grading; filling; dredging; draining; channelizing; cutting, pruning, limbing or topping, clearing, relocating or removing vegetation; applying herbicides or pesticides or any hazardous or toxic substance; discharging pollutants; paving, construction, application of gravel; modifying for surface water management purposes; or any other human activity that changes the existing landforms, vegetation, hydrology, wildlife or wildlife habitat value of critical areas. Specifically, removing this overgrown hedge would expose the entire square footage it covers by canopy. To replace this function over time I recommend: • Cut the hedged trees down during the drier summer months (now through September). • Leave all the stumps intact close to grade level to assist in holding slope soils. • Remove all logs and branches from the site to allow areas for replanting to remain uncovered, though I strongly recommend using the woodchips generated from the trees removal to cover all bare slope soils and to prep the area for replanting. These trees stand in a Critical Area (slope, Map). Edmonds Municipal Code states, "The removal of trees from critical areas and buffers that are hazardous, posing a threat to public safety, or posing an imminent risk of damage to private property; provided, that: i. The applicant submits a report from an ISA- or ASCA-certified arborist or registered landscape architect that documents the hazard and provides a replanting schedule for the replacement trees; ii. Tree cutting shall be limited to pruning and crown thinning, unless otherwise justified by a qualified professional. Where pruning or crown thinning is not sufficient to address the hazard, trees should be removed or converted to wildlife snags; Tree assessment — Steves 746 Edmonds St., Edmonds, WA 5/26/2021 iii. All vegetation cut (tree stems, branches, etc.) shall be left within the critical area or buffer unless removal is warranted due to the potential for disease or pest transmittal to other healthy vegetation or unless removal is warranted to improve slope stability; iv. The land owner shall replace any trees that are removed with new trees at a ratio of two replacement trees for each tree removed (2:1) within one year in accordance with an approved restoration plan. Replacement trees may be planted at a different, nearby location if it can be determined that planting in the same location would create a new hazard or potentially damage the critical area. Replacement trees shall be species that are native and indigenous to the site and a minimum of one to two inches in diameter at breast height (dbh) for deciduous trees and a minimum of six feet in height for evergreen trees as measured from the top of the root ball..." If the City of Edmonds maintains that these are trees and not considered a hedge Mr. Steves shall replant 2 trees to replace the northernmost tree that is strongly recommended for removal based on it being categorized as high risk or, replant per the recommendations below based on the grouping being considered a hedge whose function shall be replaced. There is only one tree species indigenous to the PNW that grows in small stature appropriate to plant on the sloped site — vine maple (Acer circinatum). Two of these can be planted in between or east of the Leyland stumps, leaving at least ten feet from the corner of the home. In addition to these, many shrubs can fit the bill for providing canopy coverage and slope stability. Preference for species will dictate how many are recommended to be planted in this area. Species include but are not limited to: • Creeping Oregon Grape, Mahonia repens • Pacific Wax Myrtle, Morella californica • Salal, Gaultheria shallon • Evergreen Huckleberry, Vaccinium ovatum • Rhododendron The best time to plant new trees is fall so they can establish with the assistance of cooler weather and added rain water. Surround new plantings with coarse woody mulch (not bark only mulch) up to three inches deep and provide a deep water soak after they are installed and every week if rain hasn't occurred. Again, I strongly recommend that arborist chips (the product of tree work) are installed around new plantings and over soils on the Steves' property west of the stumps that is too steep to plant. 5 Tree assessment — Sieves 746 Edmonds St., Edmonds, WA 5/26/2021 Thank you very much for calling me for your arboricultural concerns. I r• Katy Bigelow Board Master Certified Arborist PNW ISA member # PN-6039B Tree Risk Assessment Qualified Registered Consulting Arborist® #490 Levels of Tree Assessment LEVEL 1: The Level 1 assessment is a visual assessment from a specified perspective of an individual tree or a population of trees near specified targets to identify obvious defects or specified conditions. A limited visual assessment typically focuses on identifying trees with an imminent and/or probable likelihood of failure. Limited visual assessments are the fastest but least thorough means of assessment and are intended primarily for large populations of trees. LEVEL 2: This is a basic assessment completing a detailed visual inspection of a tree and surrounding site, and a synthesis of the information collected. This assessment requires that a tree risk assessor walk completely around the tree —looking at the site, buttress roots, trunk, and branches. A basic assessment may include the use of simple tools to gain additional information about the tree or defects. Basic is the standard assessment that is performed by arborists in response to a client's request for tree risk assessment. Simple tools may be used for measuring the tree and acquiring more information about the tree or defects. However, the use of these tools is not mandatory unless specified in the Scope of Work. LEVEL 3: Advanced assessments are performed to provide detailed information about specific tree parts, defects, targets, or site conditions. They are usually conducted in conjunction with or after a basic assessment if the tree risk assessor needs additional information and the client approves the additional service. Specialized equipment, data collection and analysis, and/or expertise are usually required for advanced assessments. These assessments are therefore generally more time intensive and more expensive. C.1 Tree assessment — Steves 746 Edmonds St., Edmonds, WA 5/26/2021 'e Photos Photo 1: Location of the hedge looking west. _ Sy( ,./' A ' � -�. �i` 'r .�'��_• •jam Y` 1 ... •� ��' mow. Tree assessment — Steves 746 Edmonds St., Edmonds, WA 5/26/2021 Photo 4: Proximity of the northernmost tree to the roof. Tree assessment — Steves 746 Edmonds St., Edmonds, WA 5/26/2021 Photo 5: Proximity of the northernmost tree to the corner of the home and downspout. 11 Tree assessment — Steves 746 Edmonds St., Edmonds, WA 5/26/2021 Map Area of trees assessed shown by blue circle. Red, orange and yellow areas indicate varying slope steepness. 12 Tree assessment — Steves 746 Edmonds St., Edmonds, WA 5/26/2021 Assumptions, Limiting Conditions and General Waiver I, Katy Bigelow, certify that: I have personally inspected the tree(s) and or the property referred to in this report; I have no current or prospective financial or other interest in the vegetation or the property which is the subject of this report and have no personal interest or bias in favor of or against any of the involved parties or their respective position(s), if any; The analysis, opinions and conclusions stated herein are the product of my independent professional judgment and based on current scientific procedures and facts, and the foregoing report was prepared according to commercially reasonable and generally accepted arboricultural standards and practices for the Pacific Northwest and Puget Sound areas; The information included in this report covers only those trees that were examined and reflects the condition of the trees as of the time and date of inspection; This report and the opinions expressed herein are not intended, nor should they be construed, as any type of warranty or guarantee regarding the condition of the subject trees in the future; Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions ("CC&Rs") may restrict the number, type and height of vegetation on the subject property, and I have made no investigation regarding whether the property is subject to such CC&Rs; and To the best of my knowledge and belief, all statements and information in this report are true and correct and information provided by others is assumed to be true and correct. I am not an attorney or engineer. This report does not cover these areas of expertise and represents advice only of arboricultural nature. Without limiting the generality of the preceding sentence, it is specifically understood that nothing contained in this report is intended as legal advice, or advice or opinions regarding soil stability or zoning laws, and this report should not be relied upon to take the place of such advice. Katy Bigelow Board Master Certified Arborist PNW ISA member # PN-6039B Tree Risk Assessment Qualified Registered Consulting Arborist® #490 13