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july 30, 2015
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Hefty fines highlight new tree-retention plan
Building a better trail
By Tom Corrigan tcorrigan@isspress.com Cutting down the wrong tree could cost you thousands of dollars if the Sammamish City Council adopts new tree-retention rules outlined at a July 21 meeting. The long-awaited proposal was put together over a period of months by the city Planning Commission, subject to council approval. While the plan contains numerous provisions, the proposed fines for violators might get the most attention. Property owners who remove or allow the removal of protected trees could face penalties of $1,500 per inch of diameter of tree removed. Fines were set high enough to discourage developers from accepting tree-related fines as just a cost of doing business, Katrine Bjorner (left) and Christina Goto, of Sammamish, incoming sophomores at Tesla STEM High School, pound spikes to fasten rails to sills while helping build a turnpike July 17 at Soaring Eagle Park. Student See more photos from the volunteers from Eastlake, Skyline and Eastside Catholic high schools are July 17 trail-building event part of a larger group helping build four turnpikes this summer to make at Soaring Eagle Park at parts of the trail that become clogged with mud in the winter safe for www.sammamishreview.com. year-round use.
City won’t pass comp plan until months after state deadline The amended plan may have been due in Olympia by June 30, but the Sammamish City Council will not pass a required update of the city’s Comprehensive Plan at least until it returns from summer break in September. At their last meeting before that break, on July 21, legislators said they just received a copy of the updated plan the day before. Several council members said they had not had time to review the document in any detail. The comments of Councilman Bob Keller seemed to sum up the thoughts of council members. “We’ve put hours into these policies,” said Keller, indicating that rushing to pass the plan
Frank Blau, planning commission vice chairman, told the City Council. After some quick calculations, Councilman Don Gerend said cutting down the wrong 30-inch diameter tree would cost a property owner $45,000. He said that is significantly more than could be earned logging that same tree. Here are some other key provisions of the tree proposal, according to information supplied by the city: q Establishes removal and retention standards according to existing zoning. q City approval must be gained prior to the removal of any significant tree. q Reintroduces part of the ability to gain tree-retention credits for trees saved in sensiSee TREES, Page 2
By Greg Farrar
SLIDESHOW
By Tom Corrigan tcorrigan@isspress.com
Hoops camp goes high-tech, page 6
now seemed counterproductive. The comprehensive plan is a common planning document laying out general policies, zoning and similar issues, and is required of every governmental entity in the state. The latest version of the 20-year plan has been posted on the city’s website. It is split into two volumes, running to a total of 434 pages. At the July 21 council meeting, it was noted that at one point, there were 120 suggested plan amendments. While state law requires an update of the comprehensive plan every eight years and sets deadlines for those updates, Sammamish is not facing any immediate sanctions, Jeff Thomas, city community development director, said after the last council session. “There are provisions that
do outline potential penalties against municipalities that are late,” Thomas said. But he added that city leaders have been in contact with the Washington State Department of Commerce, which reviews updated comp plans in the state. “They realize we are working faithfully to get this finished,” Thomas added. A commerce department spokesman could not be reached for comment. The city planning commission gets first crack at the comprehensive plan, with any changes it suggests subject to council approval. Thomas said the state had been sent and had reviewed the planning commission’s initial plan See PLAN, Page 2
Residents invited to join in National Night Out Once a year, Americans across the country are encouraged to have barbecues, block parties and other social events to solidify the neighborly connections that can serve as a barrier to crime and support during a disaster. This year, National Night Out is Aug. 4. Register your neighborhood for the National Night Out event at www.sammamishcitizencorps. com. All neighborhoods that sign up by July 31 will receive free giveaways from the Sammamish Citizen Corps, which will be distributed at Sammamish City Hall in the executive meeting room — first door to the left as you enter. Pre-registered neighborhood representative may pick up their balloon bouquet and gift between 2 and 4 p.m. National Night Out is a program first launched in 1984 by the National Association of Town Watch, the nation’s premiere nonprofit crime prevention organization dedicated to the development and promotion of crime prevention in communities across the nation. National
Night Out enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community, and provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances. Neighborhoods across the nation host block parties, festivals, parades, cookouts and other various community events with safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel and exhibits. Learn more about National Night Out and have access to the NNO store at www.nationaltownwatch.org/nno. If you do register on this national site, be sure to also register with Sammamish, so you can receive your free giveaways. Prsrt Std U.S. Postage PAID Kent, WA Permit No. 71 POSTAL CUSTOMER
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