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Home My WebLink AboutAttachment_A__Arborist_Report,_prepared_by_A_Plus_Tree,_LLC,_dated_October_28,_2024A Plus Tree, LLC 1 of 12 www.aplustree.com Arborist Report for Springbrook Apartments Prepared on October 28, 2024 Prepared by Sarah Gaskin ISA Cer=fied Arborist #WE-9519A sarah@aplustree.com Background Informa8on & Assignment This report was prepared on behalf of Springbrook Apartments, Managed by Sen<nel Real Estate, and is concerning thirteen (13) trees, located at 5301 Talbot Rd S, Renton, WA 9805. A Plus Tree was requested to assess the health, structure, and integrity of all 515 trees located on the property. Of all the trees across the property that were visually assessed, thirteen (13) considered to have hazardous leans in the direc<on where people or structures could be damaged in the event of a failure. These trees are recommended for removal and replacement. This visual inspec<on was from ground grade only. There were no soil, tree or other physical tes<ngs. Observa8ons Docusign Envelope ID: 59F72B0D-BA8F-4713-A747-FC3097EE2855 A Plus Tree, LLC 2 of 12 www.aplustree.com Observa<ons are as follows, see aOachments ‘Site Map’ for loca<on and ‘Photos” for photos of each tree: Tree # Species DBH (in) Notes 1 Black CoBonwood, Populus trichocarpa 26.4” Leaning towards building, high chance of impact in the event of major branch or stem failure. Species is known for major branch and stem failures. Snag at 20 feet to miNgate. 2 Red Alder, Alnus rubra 14.7” Leaning over road. in stream, but stream is not mapped as a CA by the city. Will need rvmp. All the crown is over road. Snag at 10 feet 3 Black CoBonwood, Populus trichocarpa 10.8” Leaning over lawn. Poor taper, lean due to compeNNon for light. Snag at 10 feet 4 Black CoBonwood, Populus trichocarpa 13.5” Leaning over lawn. Poor taper, lean due to compeNNon for light. Snag at 10 feet 5 Black CoBonwood, Populus trichocarpa 10.5” Leaning over lawn. 10.5. Poor taper, lean due to compeNNon for light. Part of 10 allowed removals. Snag at 10 feet. 6 Black CoBonwood, Populus trichocarpa 19.9” Leaning over building. Poor taper, lean due to compeNNon for light. Snag at 15 feet. 7 Black CoBonwood, Populus trichocarpa 16.7” Leaning over building, likely to hit it in the event of a major limb failure. Snagging at 15 feet is recommended to miNgate risk. Tree is leaning over building, shouldn’t count towards 10 allowable removals. 8 Black CoBonwood, Populus trichocarpa 14.5” Past evidence of failures. Tree is leaning over building, a future failure is likely to hit the building and do damage. Snagging at 10 feet is recommended to miNgate risk. Over building, shouldn’t count towards 10 tree allowance. 9 Black CoBonwood, Populus trichocarpa 16.8” Tree is leaning over house, will hit and damage it in the event of major failure. Recommend snagging at 15 feet to miNgate risk. Leaning over building shouldn’t count towards 10 allowable removals. 10 Black CoBonwood, Populus trichocarpa 15.4” Leaning over building. 11 Black CoBonwood, Populus trichocarpa 20.5” Leaning over building. 12 Black CoBonwood, Populus trichocarpa 16.9” Leaning over building. Snag at 15 feet to miNgate. Doesn’t count towards 10 allowed removals: leaning over building. 13 Stump of Black CoBonwood, Populus trichocarpa 7 sprouts: 1-5” Black coBonwood stump with weakly aBached sprouts that are growing towards building. As the sprouts grow, their structural integrity will be compromised and they will likely hit the building. Removal of all sprouts is recommended to miNgate future hazard. 7 sprouts in total, ranging from 1 inch to 5 inches in diameter. Docusign Envelope ID: 59F72B0D-BA8F-4713-A747-FC3097EE2855 A Plus Tree, LLC 3 of 12 www.aplustree.com Discussion Regarding the twelve (12) Black Co8onwoods, Populus trichocarpa -- Black CoOonwoods are known for their fast growth, which oVen leads to structural issues such as poor taper and weak wood. Poor taper is especially prominent in these par<cular trees, as the trunks do not propor<onally thicken as they grow taller, resul<ng in a lack of stability under their own weight. In these cases, the trees exhibit a high degree of lean, which is uncorrected, crea<ng a risk of failure in winds or under other stress condi<ons. Since these leans are directed over common areas and buildings, they pose an immediate hazard to both people and structures. Another issue contribu<ng to the instability of these trees is their low crown ra<o, especially among those affected by a dense understory. Limited light availability forces the trees to concentrate growth in their upper canopies, resul<ng in a high center of mass. The low crown ra<o leaves them top-heavy, making them par<cularly vulnerable to wind events, which can easily cause breakage or uproo<ng. Addi<onally, the natural growth characteris<cs of Black CoOonwoods contribute to their vulnerability. They are shallow-rooted species, a feature that compounds the risk associated with leaning stems, as their roots provide less anchorage. The rapid growth of this species oVen leads to weaker wood that can easily break, especially under the condi<ons described. Considering the proximity of these trees to ac<ve areas, the risk of injury or damage is significant. Regarding the one (1) Red Alder, Alnus rubra— The Red Alder has a lean over an ac<ve roadway, with its en<re canopy extending above the traffic area. Red Alders are commonly found in moist environments like stream banks, where they grow quickly but develop shallow root systems adapted to soVer soils. Their rapid growth habit also contributes to weak wood structure, increasing the likelihood of limb or trunk failure. Given these characteris<cs and the tree’s full canopy lean over a roadway, its removal is necessary to prevent poten<al accidents and ensure roadway safety. Recommenda8ons In summary, due to their poor taper, severe lean over high-use areas, low crown ra<os from understory compe<<on, and inherent characteris<cs of the species that limit stability, the removal of the twelve (12) Black CoOonwoods is recommended to mi<gate safety risks effec<vely. The recommended removal of the one (1) Red Alder is based on its hazardous lean over an ac<ve roadway. Remove all thirteen (13) trees to prevent poten<al hazards to people, property, or nearby structures. Instead of full removals, for some, I recommend “snagging” where noted in the table above. These trees are in natural areas and can provide valuable habitat when retained as snags, removing only the canopy while leaving a por<on of the trunk standing would maintain ecological benefits by suppor<ng local wildlife, such as cavity-nes<ng birds and insects, while elimina<ng the immediate hazard. Replace trees in accordance with the City of Renton tree ordinance. Replace with various species, preferably na<ve, suitable for each site and loca<on. If a replacement plan is needed, aOach it to the tree removal permit applica<on. Docusign Envelope ID: 59F72B0D-BA8F-4713-A747-FC3097EE2855 A Plus Tree, LLC 4 of 12 www.aplustree.com ATTACHMENTS Site Map Docusign Envelope ID: 59F72B0D-BA8F-4713-A747-FC3097EE2855 A Plus Tree, LLC 5 of 12 www.aplustree.com Photos – Tree 1 Tree 2 Docusign Envelope ID: 59F72B0D-BA8F-4713-A747-FC3097EE2855 A Plus Tree, LLC 6 of 12 www.aplustree.com Tree 3 Tree 4 Docusign Envelope ID: 59F72B0D-BA8F-4713-A747-FC3097EE2855 A Plus Tree, LLC 7 of 12 www.aplustree.com Tree 5 Tree 6 Docusign Envelope ID: 59F72B0D-BA8F-4713-A747-FC3097EE2855 A Plus Tree, LLC 8 of 12 www.aplustree.com Tree 7 Tree 8 Docusign Envelope ID: 59F72B0D-BA8F-4713-A747-FC3097EE2855 A Plus Tree, LLC 9 of 12 www.aplustree.com Tree 9 Tree 10 ’ Docusign Envelope ID: 59F72B0D-BA8F-4713-A747-FC3097EE2855 A Plus Tree, LLC 10 of 12 www.aplustree.com Tree 11 ’ Docusign Envelope ID: 59F72B0D-BA8F-4713-A747-FC3097EE2855 A Plus Tree, LLC 11 of 12 www.aplustree.com Tree 12 ’ Tree 13 ’ Disclaimer Arborists cannot detect every condi0on that could possibly lead to the structural failure of a tree. Trees are living organisms that may fail in ways we do not fully understand. Condi0ons are o<en hidden within trees and below ground. Arborists cannot guarantee that a tree will be healthy or safe, or fail for that ma>er, under all circumstances, or for a given period of 0me. Likewise, remedial treatments, like any medicine, cannot be guaranteed. Docusign Envelope ID: 59F72B0D-BA8F-4713-A747-FC3097EE2855 A Plus Tree, LLC 12 of 12 www.aplustree.com Treatments, pruning and removal of trees may involve considera0ons beyond the scope of the arborist’s services such as property boundaries, property ownership, sight lines, disputes between neighbors, landlordtenant ma>ers, etc. Arborists cannot take such issues into account unless complete and accurate informa0on is given to the arborist. The person hiring the arborist accepts full responsibility for authorizing the recommended treatment or remedial measures. Trees can be managed, but they cannot be controlled. To live near a tree is to accept some degree of risk. The only way to eliminate all risks is to eliminate all trees. This consultant does not verify the safely or health of any tree for any period of 0me. Construc0on ac0vi0es are hazardous to trees and cause many short and long-term injuries, which can cause trees to die or topple. Even when every tree is inspected, inspec0on involves sampling; therefore some areas of decay or weakness may be missed. Weather, winds and the magnitude and direc0on of storms are not predictable and some failures may s0ll occur despite the best applica0on of high professional standards. I hereby declare that the above observa0ons, discussion and recommenda0on are true to the best of my knowledge, belief and professional opinion. In addi0on, A Plus Tree is held harmless of any of these opinions from future tree failures. Sincerely, Sarah Gaskin Sarah Gaskin | A Plus Tree, LLC ISA Cer<fied Arborist #WE-9519A Docusign Envelope ID: 59F72B0D-BA8F-4713-A747-FC3097EE2855