Sketched Jan. 6, 2016
A seven-story apartment building is planned for this Northeast Seattle lot. The house is in disrepair, but the property also includes a couple of sizeable trees that stand out at an intersection laced with parking lots.
I assume they’ll be cut when the house is torn down. But what if the owner had happened to nominate them for heritage status?
City of Seattle arborist Nolan Rundquist told me anyone can nominate a tree with the consent of the property owner, and more than 150 notable trees have received heritage status under a program that started in 1996.
Cass Turnbull, a member of the Heritage Tree Committee, said the program has helped save some trees but can’t guarantee preservation. With so much development, a stricter tree ordinance is due, she said. “The green stuff we love so much is disappearing under concrete.”
UPDATE: My assumption that the trees in this house would be cut was wrong. Plans filed with the city and other public records indicate that the tall beech tree in front of the house will be preserved. I should have look deeper into this property before I wrote the text to go with my sketch!