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| Group Health 28-acre site to be clear-cut |
Sustainable Redmond Files Land Use Petition
Redmond, WA – On January 24, Citizens and Neighbors for a Sustainable Redmond filed a land use petition in King County Superior Court, seeking review of the City of Redmond’s decision to approve Group Health’s request to clear cut a 28-acre urban forest within the Overlake neighborhood so as to facilitate the development of a master planned mixed use development. This includes 65 landmark trees, estimated to be 150 to 250 years old, and 985 significant trees, up to 150 years old. Sustainable Redmond was joined in the appeal by Friends at Overlake Village, Villa Marina Condominium Association, and Rosemarie Ives, former mayor of Redmond, 1992-2007. In support of the appeal are the Eastside Audubon Society, Sherwood Forest Community Club (a nearby Bellevue neighborhood), and Techies for Trees (workers in the Overlake neighborhood).
Members from Sustainable Redmond, along with many local citizens and several groups, had urged the Council to reconsider the Group Health Overlake Village development agreement at public hearings in November and December. On December 13, the City Council approved, 6 to 1, the Group Health Overlake Village Master Plan and Development Agreement, with councilmember Allen dissenting.
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it finds this decision to be inconsistent with the City’s legacy of protecting trees, as well as with Redmond’s long-adopted tree preservation ordinance, Comprehensive Plan, and the Overlake Neighborhood Plan. The tree preservation ordinance, Redmond Zoning Code (RZC 21.72), stipulates that all landmark trees (those with trunk diameters exceeding 30 inches), and 35 percent of significant trees (with diameters over six inches) be retained in developments unless exceptional conditions exist. A certified arborist performed a site evaluation in November 2011 and concluded that groups of trees can be saved without undue risk to potential future structures. This contradicted the Group Health developer’s assessment that none of the trees can be retained.
In addition, Sustainable Redmond non-profit believes that the City’s compliance with the State Environmental Policy Act for the proposed master plan was deficient, as it did not analyze the impacts of clearing all trees and other vegetation from the site.
At the January 3 City Council meeting, Sustainable Redmond asked for reconsideration of the decision, but the council took no action. After investigating its remaining options, Sustainable Redmond decided to proceed with an appeal to the Superior Court of King County.
About Sustainable Redmond Citizens and Neighbors for Sustainable Redmond is a grassroots organization focused on local sustainability. The group’s mission is to be a catalyst for moving Redmond’s citizens, businesses, and local government towards sustainability, through education, advocacy, and community events. See sustainableredmond.org for more details
Cindy Jayne
Email: cindy@sustainableredmond.org
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