Update: City Council Votes to Deny Tree Retention Amendments

Update, 9:30 a.m. May 8: The Redmond City Council followed planning commissioners' recommendations in voting to deny a set of proposed zoning and comprehensive plan amendments that concerned tree removal.

Speaking prior to the vote, council members emphasized they valued the discussion with Sustainable Redmond but believed having baseline retention levels would conflict with the need to create dense population centers downtown and in Overlake.

“The bigger focus…is really to address sustainable development for the region and the city,” council member Tom Flynn said. "In the short-term, we may have some loss of trees, which in some cases we really mourn. But we’re gaining much more in the bigger picture of sustainability.”

Several council members said they would like staff to continue to examine the city's public notice process, acknowledging that the process for granting exemptions to the existing tree retention policies is not always as transparent as it should be.

“It’s my hope this is an ongoing process,” council member Kim Allen said.

The council did vote to make a minor tweak in the comprehensive plan and zoning code by hyperlinking the term "technical committee" to a definition provided in the Redmond Municipal Code.

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Original post, May 7: The Redmond City Council will take up proposed tree retention amendments at its regular 7:30 p.m. meeting tonight.

The code amendments stem from the controversial tree removal at the Group Health development and were introduced by citizen group Sustainable Redmond last year. The proposals call for more explicit public notice about development plans that involve tree removal and would also establish a baseline minimum for tree retention.

Do you think the city needs new policies concerning tree removal? Tell us in the comments section.

The Redmond Planning Commission has recommended city council deny the proposed amendements, saying the revisions to public notification are not necessary and the baseline retentions would be "contrary to Redmond’s vision and policies."

"They also reasoned that a minimum required retention percentage for exceptions could preclude development entirely for some parcels," according to a report on the matter from Mayor John Marchione (see attached PDF). 

Many residents expressed surprise and frustration when plans for complete removal at the Group Health development site surfaced in late 2011. An approved development agreement between Group Health and the city includes an exception to the city's zoning code that allows for more than 1,000 trees to be removed from the 28-acre site.

In early 2012, representatives from Sustainable Redmond filed a land-use petition against the city over its approval of the tree-removal agreement. The matter was settled in June, when Group Health .

The property was sold to Capstone Partners for $32.5 million in March. Demolition of the former hospital is set to begin this spring.

Click here to see the full agenda for tonight's city council meeting.