Far from the crowds wandering the quad at the University of Washington is a Capitol Hill street that also blooms beautifully in spring.
21st Ave E — just north of Aloha and south of Prospect — is home to one of Capitol Hill’s best blooms of cherry blossoms. The old trees line a couple blocks and draw small crowds of their own to swirl feet through the pink and white drifts and take pictures. Continue reading
There are more powerful actions they can take but neighbors opposing a proposed sixth floor on the mixed-use development being planned for the old QFC block of Capitol Hill’s 15th Ave E got their say Wednesday night. Several neighbors supporting the plan and increased housing options on the busy commercial street on the edge of Capitol HIll’s single family-style house core also spoke up.
Around thirty residents voiced their opinions on the proposed mixed-use development as planners from the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspection took notes and coordinated the brisk Wednesday evening meeting.
While many criticized the idea of a six-story building rising above 15th Ave E, there were also plenty of attendees during the virtual meeting who expressed support for increasing housing density amid the city’s ongoing housing and affordability crisis.
“I live less than a mile from this proposed project. I think this is a great project. It should be approved as proposed,” said one. “This project is located in, and will add to an already existing business area.”
Capitol Hill developer Hunters Capital — whose mixed-use development up the street replacing the old Hilltop Service Station will wrap up construction later this year — is requesting a departure from area zoning for its QFC project to allow an extra sixth story of height. Continue reading
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“I’m concerned about the impact of such a huge structure on the small businesses and parking in this neighborhood,” one of the signees writes.
“I oppose a building of 6 stories,” wrote another.
The special meeting comes as a new addition to the months and years of planning required for Capitol Hill firm Hunters Capital to develop the property which also must pass through the city’s design review process.
The project is planned for the busy 15th Ave E commercial strip on the edge of Capitol Hill’s northeast core of valuable single family-style homes.
CHS reported here in October as the proposal was approved by the East Review Board in its early design guidance phase. Hunters and the Runberg Architecture Group are proposing to transform the old QFC block into new apartments, businesses, and plaza space they say would give the neighborhood a vibrant streetscape with a mix of trees old and new, small retail spaces to add to the street’s eclectic mix, and 170 new homes. Continue reading
(Image: CHS)
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Fall leaves might evoke warm memories of cider pressing and pumpkin carving. Or they might remind you of a chore you had growing up, or still haven’t managed to escape. Leaves on the ground might symbolize the impending gray we live through in the Pacific Northwest. No matter how you feel, with certainty, leaves fall, and that should happen starting right about now.
The colors of Capitol Hill’s street trees in fall definitely have curb appeal, but I would argue the bigger, more compelling story happens after they hit the ground. We all know inherently that leaves decay. It’s why letting them form a slippery, mucky mess on the sidewalk isn’t great. We rake them up because eventually they turn from red to brown to mush. But what if I told you that decaying leaves contribute to a food web far more diverse than they do while they are green and on a tree?
Indeed, a green leaf might be important food for a native butterfly’s larvae that goes on to pollinate a wildflower, or be eaten by a bird. A fallen leaf is munched by a host of invertebrates, fungi, and bacteria. Fallen leaves make a home for wintering insects, and in turn, become a place for birds to look for important winter foods. The decayed material builds soil and fertilizes plants wherever they fall. A fallen leaf is the base of a pyramid of biological diversity. Continue reading
The Seattle Department of Transportation has provided more details of how it might handle the dozens of Red Sunset Maples surrounding Cal Anderson Park as it works to improve damaged sidewalks in the area.
CHS reported earlier this month on the “tree retention evaluation” underway at the park as SDOT said the area along 11th Ave and other areas of the park were being evaluated “to consider possible solutions to address sidewalk damage with minimal impact to the trees.”
SDOT said one possible solution could be to adjust the path of the sidewalk around the trees. A spokesperson said other solutions to preserve the trees in areas where there is no room to zig zag around them are being considered.
In an update sent to CHS, SDOT said crews are removing the old sidewalk pavement, “exposing the roots so that arborists can evaluate their condition and use established standards to determine if pruning is necessary and how it can be done without harming the trees.” Continue reading
First Central Station’s central courtyard (Image: First Central Station)
The Seattle City Council approved new tree protections in the city Tuesday after more than a decade of debate stacked up a Loraxian level of legislation in the sprawling, many-branched bill.
The new ordinance expands protections to a total of 175,000 trees across Seattle, creates a 4-tier system to categorize trees, establishes a mandate requiring new developments to include street trees, increases penalties for illegal street cutting, expands Seattle Public Utilities’ Trees for Neighborhoods Program, creates additional penalties for unregistered tree service providers, requires trees to be replaced onsite if they’re removed for development or a fee be paid to plant and maintain trees in under-treed areas, increases street tree requirements for developments in neighborhood residential zones, addresses the lack of trees in historically underserved communities through the establishment of a payment in-lieu program, significantly restricts tree removals on Neighborhood Residential lots, and establishes “clear and consistent” parameters for tree protection standards.
The council Tuesday passed the legislation 6-1 with only NE Seattle rep Alex Pedersen opposing the passage after he failed to convince fellow councilmembers to delay their vote until June to give advocates more time to further shape the ordinance. District 3 representative Kshama Sawant was not present for the vote. Continue reading
Thanks to the many readers who have alerted us to the signs (Image courtesy a CHS reader)
Ominous “tree retention evaluation” signs that have gone up on the dozens of Red Sunset Maples surrounding Cal Anderson Park have caused a stir as Seattle experiences record May heat.
A city spokesperson’s words about the signs probably won’t do much to cool things down though the representative wanted it made clear the notices do not — necessarily — “indicate that we intend to remove these trees.”
“We value our tree canopy and all the benefits it provides. The purpose of the postings was to share information with the public about an upcoming evaluation and scheduled maintenance activities that have the potential to impact the trees,” the spokesperson tells CHS.
The City of Seattle’s transportation department says that the trees, many decades old, are being evaluated “to consider possible solutions to address sidewalk damage with minimal impact to the trees.”
The Seattle Department of Transportation says it is looking into whether the sidewalk alignment can be adjusted around the trees and is also considering “other possible solutions to preserve the trees in any areas where this is not feasible.” Continue reading
Interlaken Park (Image: City of Seattle)
The Seattle City Council’s Land Use Committee has a marathon session in store Thursday as it tackles updating the city’s tree protections.
Council staff says the tree legislation is being tackled in two meetings Thursday including a morning session and an afternoon round to vote on over 50 amendments being proposed for the updated legislation.
The draft bill would create incentives and code flexibility “to better protect trees, include more trees in the regulations, plant / replace more trees, and establish a payment in-lieu program to provide flexibility for tree replacement and address racial inequities and environmental justice disparities, amongst other changes.” Continue reading
A flowering plum (Image: CHS)
Seattle City Council committees will have a busy Friday before the coming “spring break” week marked by many of the area’s schools and families with Kshama Sawant’s proposed legislation to limit late rent fees and new protections for the city’s trees on the agenda.
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(Image: CHS)
The Evergreen State’s largest city, Seattle takes its trees seriously and its city council is in the middle of a sprawling legislative process to create new and better protections for its urban canopy.
The council’s Land Use Committee heard updates on the process Wednesday to finalize legislation with a major set of new tree protections. Officials say the draft bill would create incentives and code flexibility to better protect trees, include more trees in the regulations, plant or replace more trees, and establish a payment in-lieu program to provide flexibility for tree replacement and address racial inequities and environmental justice disparities, amongst other changes.
The new protections would also create regulations protecting designated “heritage trees” that can’t be removed unless deemed hazardous or in an emergency. Continue reading
