Shoreline council to talk trees and traffic

The Firlands giant sequoia at 185th and Aurora stands over the old Bank of America property. Shoreline has twice passed emergency ordinances to block the removal of the tree
Photo by Oliver J Moffat

By Oliver J Moffat

The Shoreline city council will be voting on tree preservation rules and discussing traffic safety at the Monday, December 15 meeting.

On the last city council meeting of 2024, the council will have a packed agenda including protecting the Firlands giant sequoia (again), axing Hazardous tree removal fees (again), expanding critical areas, and discussing the Annual Traffic Report.

First up on the agenda: the Shoreline city council will (for the third time) hold a public hearing about preventing the removal of the Firlands Way giant sequoia.

As previously reported, the Shoreline city council has enacted temporary ordinances to block chopping down big trees in the neighborhood where the Firlands sequoia is located right next to the long vacant building where the old Bank of America used to be at 185th and Aurora.

It is indisputably a big, beautiful tree. But despite what some have claimed, the Firlands giant sequoia is not an old growth tree. Giant sequoias (as their name suggests) get really big really fast and live for a very long time. According to public comments from the property owner and a review of historic photos, the tree is likely less than 80 years old.

The property has been for sale for over a year, but instead of buying the land to protect the tree, the city council has instead made it illegal to chop the tree down. The property owner says the tree is damaging the building.

The tree removal ban is a temporary ordinance, must be renewed every six months, and was last renewed in July earlier this year.

Next on the agenda: the council will vote whether or not to ax the city's towering removal fees for hazardous trees.

Earlier this year, the city Council slapped a removal fee on big tree choppers that could reach up to $15,000. The council subsequently chopped big tree felling fees down a few months later to $3,325 but those fees still tower over neighboring cities.

The fees currently apply even if a big tree is dead, diseased and a hazard; which can be a burden on property owners worried about having their home damaged by the hazardous tree in their backyard.

Next on the agenda, the city council will vote to expand the city's critical areas.

A map from the city of Shoreline shows the 446 properties newly impacted by the city’s expanded riparian buffer zones. Many of the streams are underground and property owners may not be aware that the new regulations apply to them.

As previously reported, a proposed Critical Areas Ordinance will increase the buffer widths near streams to 200 feet. Currently, the city stream buffers range from 45 to 150 feet.

According to a map posted to the city’s website, the new 200-foot buffer will impact 446 more properties. There are currently 4,304 regulated properties citywide.

Expanding lawns, herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers, planting invasive species, construction, clearing, grading, draining, filling, dumping, demolition, and installation of utilities are prohibited within a stream buffer critical area. 

And property owners within a Critical Area will need special permits to build new structures.

According to city staff, these changes are required by new state guidelines.

Last, but not least, the council will review the Annual Traffic Report covering data for 2024.

As reported earlier, the number of cyclists hit by drivers in Shoreline hit an all time high in 2024. According to the report, the total number of car crashes increased in 2024 compared to 2023 but Fatal and Serious Injury (FSI) Crashes dropped in 2024 to 8 crashes from a record high 17 crashes in 2023.

Information on how to attend city council meetings and provide public comment is available on the city’s website.