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Tree Assessment.pdfPage 1 of 10 justina. Ki"Naus, M.S., B.S. CHAMPION TREE CARE JUN November 11, 2014�P i Robert Elder k Mill Park Condos, Edmonds WA fill k RE: Tree Assessment Summary and Cost Estimate Dear Robert Elder, Thank you for contacting me to assess tree hazards and to determine the best order of action to reduce additional tree- conflicts for Mill Park Condos. Also included are suggestions for canopy and/or root pruning where appropriate. Champion Tree Care is licensed and bonded, and contractors with the State of Washington. We perform all tree work to the American National Standards Institute ANSI -A300 pruning standards. We are International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborists and ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualified. Mill Park Condos are located in Edmonds, WA. The site is dominated by Douglas -fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), many of which were planted within 10 -15 -ft of buildings more than 30 years ago, and then were topped more than 15 years ago. Now in 2014, many of these Douglas - firs need to be removed, with stumps ground out, and should be replaced with slow-growing, small-statured, ornamental trees. The City of Edmonds requires any tree removals to be approved and also requires replanting of native tree species for your property. A number of the Douglas -firs have already caused problems because of root damage to parking areas, sidewalks, sewers, and buildings. Because the trees were topped and have regrown, the canopies are actually twice or three times as full, making these trees already located too close with even wider canopies rubbing up against the buildings. The City of Edmonds will not permit tree topping, and the response of these Douglas -firs to the topping is one reason why. Topping has made these trees larger. However, using Douglas -firs to begin with was simply a terrible choice for a tree of its known species characteristics that was to be planted 10 -ft from a building. Douglas -fir trees put on large buttress roots because they are fast-growing and grow to be hundreds of feet tall. The rest of this document is organized by -building. For each building, included is a written list stating identified tree -removals or management actions but without locations. For the exact tree locations, the recommended actions are also illustrated on map copies [scanned from the Existing Landscape and Tree Removal Plan by Studio 342 Dated 1.16.13]. Please note that many trees are named wrong on the Studio 342 map. I have made all attempts to avoid confusion but restating the wrong name with the correct one, and including the illustrated maps. Page 2 of 10 • BuildinR clearance btouse proper pruning toclear branches away from buildings between 7 -10 -ft away, which prevents animals from accessing the roof and prevents branches brushing buildings iDwind storms • Remove 3tree means tocut itdown, hauling away all branches and wood less than l0" indiameter but leaving any wood greater than lO"diameter cut @S18"-|ongfirewood rounds. w Raising a canopy means tVuse proper pruning t8remove the lowest branches, increasing the open space under the tree * Root Pruning istocleanly cut/severe roots * Canoov Clean refers to carefully pruning the canopy to remove crossing/rubbing branches, dead branches, thinning, and improving the overall shape All /v ( Building A:Remove Doug|as'firlocated too close tobui|dimg�Rootprune Norway Maple (Acer platanoides Oarned[nisc deciduous) and corrective pruning Ufcanopy plus building clearance. Clear Flowering Cherry (Prunus sp.) and Norway Maple (Acer platanoides named misc. deciduous) away from corner. Clear back of building and prune red maple (Acer rubrum named misc. daciduous\.Remove multi -topped Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicmtornis-nannedThV'a occidentalis) in back of building. m Bui�i��m��m��r(�� m�Dan�� 'a(�de�li��3� entrance and power boxes, Remove Japanese Red Pine (Pinus densiflora nnis'nannedPinuS contorta) that is lifting the sidewalk and is a nuisance to cars parked underneath. 17 �raod/ Building C:Remove foVrDouglas-fiinfro�� tbNi[�ing°post-tmpped crowns have regrown tm/oorthree timlesasbig, they over building and have had dose-to-trunkroot pruning xvhensidevvo!ksinstalled recent|wfRennoveDouQ|ga-{irand two Western Red Cedars inback of building, both planted too close with roots lifting patios, and growing under building. Grassy Area Between C & P:Prune the Maples inthe grassy area tothin the canopy toallow more light through. Mulch exposed roots with 3" of wood chip mulch (not beauty bark) rather than try togrow grass and mow over. Building D: Remove Douglas -fir infront ofdoor l-4,Prune Doug -fir to clear building. `/ Building E: Clear the back of the building to provide 7 -10 -ft of clearance. Building F: Remove previously topped Douglas -fir located at corner of buildings F & E. Remove two dead trees located along property line behind F down to 12 -ft wildlife snags. Clear back of building to give building 7 -10 -ft of clearance. Page 3uf1& Building G: Remove True Fir ( b |or rnis-named as Pinus conto�a) with declined canopy likely due to spider rnitcCorrg[tiVe pruning of Basswood (Ti|i@ an08riCan@ 'BetV|us') Note -This is a special and unique tree species very uncommon tothe Seattle area. Raise canopy 0fWestern Red Cedar (Thujaplicobzrnis-nannedThu'aoccidenta|is\to1O'ftandclearroof. Clear building corner roof from Lawson Cypress (Chaemacyparis lawsoniana mis-named Thuja occidentalis). Clear Red Alder (Alnus rubra labeled unidentified deciduous) from building corner. Remove four topped and recently root pruned Douglas -fir by garbage durnp$tGr, in rockery and adjacent to building. Prune Douglas -fir at south end mfbuilding to raise canopy by 1O-1tand clear building. / �� / Building H:Rernove1VvoDouglas-firs behind building, betVVeeDHand pool-.'Removesrna|| Douglas -fir next to parking between H and D buildings. Remove the smallest stems from London Plane behind H over parking leaving two largest sterns and raise canopy over parking. Prune Hinoki Cypress (Chomaecyparis obtusa mis-named Thuja occidentalis) away from behind building. � Building J: c0nco/urrnis'narnadasPinus comtorLa\located less than mne- footfroro back mmrner��ui|dingclearance for back of building roof. Prune maple for building clearance and root prune. Prune Leyland CypresS/[unmreSsocNuaris x leylandii mnis-namnedThuja occidentalis) and Western Red Cedar (Thuja p0cotoMnis-DarnedThu'aOcddent8lis)aVVayfrorn back ofbuilding for clearance. Parking Area Between J and K:Prune Honey Locust (G/edd3/otriachonthusnamed asmisc. deciduous) and Red Maple (Acer rubrum named as misc. deciduous) to raise canopy by1O-124t and canopy clean. Building K:Clear building from Douglas -fir tOleft ofdoor I-LRemove one Douglas -fir toright of door 1-4 with the topped regrowth yellowing probably from root pruning. Building clearance pruning oftwo Douglas -firs tuleft ofdoor 9-l2and root prune adjacent tobuilding. Building clearance pruning for back ofbuilding and Hedge Maple (Acer campestris named asmisc. deCiduOus\.Remove White fir and Douglas -fir behind building, both located too close with roots under patios and building. Building k:Prune two Douglas -firs toclear building b«7-9ft and canopy clean. Remove one Douglas -fir toright nfdoor 1-4. Between Retention Pond and L:Remove diseased Douglas -fir atcorner mfretention pond and grind stump to aerate. Cut down dead Bitter Cherry in pond to 154ftwildlife snag. Building K8: Remove Western Red Cedar behind })as roots growing towards building utility boxes. Remove Douglas -fir by utility boxes.V Remove red maple (Acer rubra) unsightly and too late for corrective pruning. Clear Hinoki,Maple and Western Red Cedar away from back of MUM Building P: Prune Douglas -fir next to building to raise and canopy clean also root prune next to building. Prune the three maples behind building to canopy clean and raise canopy and clear building as needed. Remove Honey Locust (Gleditsio triachanthos named misc. deciduous). Remove Western Red Cedar and dead Pyramidalis. Corrective prune six small maples. Prune, raise and canopy clean the two bigger maples in lawn. Between Building P and Pool. Remove Douglas -fir with roots raising pool, 3etween Pool and Hydrant by Parking: Remove Douglas -fir by fire hydrant. Suggested Work Order: 1. A. Remove trees by power boxes, hydrants, etc, B. Remove 2 dead trees behind E & F C. Building C — Douglas -firs in front of building have highest potential for failure 2. A. Buildings G & J B. Prune Honey Locust and Red Maple in Parking Lot between J & K 3. A. By Pool & behind H B. Building H clearance C. London Plane over Parking 4. Prune Maples behind P & C MAPS: The follo VVII&W-J's Avwf V4XrIIf&IUAftAjb_4E%115 color because removals are marked in red while pruning is marked in green. Prior to any tree removals, I recommend that all trees should be physically marked so as to avoid confusion whether removal, pruning or no action. Page 5 of 10 Page 6 of 10 Page 7 of 10 A ox mob and S. w sy 11 t rivio fx 2"'96kdi be prolacto 4om finjj Douqlas Fir sites Ito, bc a rn sphalt F �,�tkos I ..�. A ��IPdiri a3 - p s � �x tt RS IT Douf;pas Fir t � k V ; ( p r �; sturnp rcnymved and � rcxnd y 9 fir, � 4y^ n...� M' � "� dP �^ � G- � W f 4 S •1 ._ aY , w,"�1�t r t r , p � a 5 t" o , ,,pa 'J