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Home My WebLink AboutD_3512_NE_10th_Ct_Tree_Removal_FinalDEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Routine Vegetation Management Permit and Critical Areas Exemption PLANNING DIVISON ROUTINE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT PREMIT EVALUATION FORM & DECISION DATE OF DECISION: June 11, 2025 PROJECT NUMBER: LUA25-000163, RVMP PROJECT NAME: 3512 NE 10th Ct Tree Removal PROJECT MANAGER: Ashley Wragge, Assistant Planner APPLICANT/ CONTACT/ OWNER: Nadeem Ansari 3512 NE 10th Ct, Renton, WA 98056 PROJECT LOCATION: 3512 NE 10th Ct, Renton, WA 98056 (APN 0425500150) PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The applicant, Nadeem Ansari, is requesting a Routine Vegetation Management Permit (RVMP) to remove three (3) trees located at 3512 NE 10th Ct (APN 0425500150) due to physical damage to a home and utilities. The subject property is approximately 6,220 square feet (0.14 acres) and is situated within the Residential-8 (R-8) zone and the Highlands Community Planning Area. Per City of Renton (COR) Maps, the site has no critical areas. In the Arborist Report, prepared by Cascade Clif Consulting, dated February 26, 2025 (Attachment A), it is recommended to remove three (3) Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) trees. Tree 1 is approximately twenty-eight inches (28”) in diameter at breast height (dbh) and is approximately thirty feet (30’) tall. Tree 2 is approximately twenty- four inches (24”) in dbh and is approximately twenty-six feet (26’) tall. Tree 3 is approximately twenty-two inches (22”) in dbh and is approximately twenty-four feet (24’) tall. According to the report, the Douglas fir trees are healthy but they are damaging a driveway, cracking the foundation of a home, and are in the immediate vicinity of the gas meter and gas lines to the same home. According to the certified arborist, mitigation through root grinding is not sufficient due to potential instability and health impacts to the trees. CRITITCAL AREA: None ROUTINE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT REVIEW CRITERIA 4-9-195D.4: YES 1. The lot shall comply with minimum tree credit requirements pursuant to RMC 4-4-130, Tree Retention and Land Clearing Regulations. Staff Comments: In accordance with RMC 4-4-130H, compliance with tree credit requirements necessitates a minimum of 30 tree credits per net acre. The subject Docusign Envelope ID: 9B8C35A9-4053-47FC-9E0A-8AA23E286ECD City of Renton Department of Community & Economic Development 3512 NE 10th Ct Tree Removal Routine Vegetation Management Permit LUA25-000163, RVMP Permit Date: June 11, 2025 Page 2 of 4 property is approximately 6,220 square feet (0.14 acres) and is located at 3512 NE 10th Ct (APN 0425500150). Based on the property size, four (4) tree credits are required to meet the minimum tree density requirement (30 tree credits/acre × 0.14 acres = 4.2 credits). According to the Tree Retention and Credit Worksheet (Attachment B), the applicant is proposing to retain one (1) Austrian Pine (Pinus nigra) landmark tree (Tree 4) within the property. Tree 4 is approximately twenty-five inches (25”) in dbh. A preserved tree, at this size, has a tree credit value of ten (10) tree credits. Therefore, the preserved tree exceeds the calculated four (4) required tree credits for this property and the Tree Retention and Credit Worksheet demonstrates compliance with the minimum tree credits and the minimum retention requirements of one (1) tree per the code. N/A 2. The land clearing and tree removal shall be consistent with restrictions for critical areas, pursuant to RMC 4-4-130, Tree Retention and Land Clearing Regulations, and RMC 4-3- 050, Critical Areas Regulations. Staff Comments: Not applicable. Per City of Renton (COR) Maps, the property is not encumbered with critical areas or critical area buffers. YES 3. Removal of a landmark tree shall meet the review criteria for removal of a landmark tree, pursuant to RMC 4-4-130, Tree Retention and Land Clearing Regulations. Staff Comments: According to RMC 4-4-130F.2.c.ii, a landmark tree may be removed if it is determined to be causing obvious physical damage to buildings (over 200 square feet), driveways, parking lots, or utilities, and it can be demonstrated to the Administrator’s satisfaction that no reasonable alternatives to tree removal exist. Per RMC 4-11-200, Definitions T, a landmark tree is classified as such if it measures with a caliper of twenty-four inches (24") or greater, except for big leaf maples, black cottonwoods, and red alder trees, which qualify as landmark trees with a caliper of thirty inches (30") or greater. According to the Arborist Report (Attachment A), two (2) of the proposed trees for removal (Tree 1 and Tree 2 in the report) are landmark trees. Tree 3 is under the size requirements to be considered a landmark tree. All three (3) Douglas fir trees are proposed for removal because they are causing increasing damage to the neighboring home to the east at 3520 NE 10th Ct (APN 0425500160). The Arborist Report (Attachment A) includes photos demonstrating cracks in the foundation of the home within a few feet of the visible root buttress. In addition, the Douglas fir tree locations are within close proximity of the gas line and gas meter to the home. According to the certified arborist, there are no alternatives outside of removing these three (3) Douglas fir trees to prevent further impact to the nearby home since root pruning would likely reduce vigor in the trees and overall stability since buttress roots largely help stabilize trees. In the ISA Basic Tree Risk Assessment Form (Attachment C), the certified arborist notes that all three (3) trees are in good health and severing these tree roots would likely mitigate the concern to the nearby home foundation and the utilities, but it would likely reduce the trees to low vigor and reduce overall stability. By reducing the tree vigor and stability, the likelihood of the large trees striking one of the nearby homes would increase. Therefore, aside from removal, there are no reasonable alternatives to mitigate the physical damage to the home foundation and potential damage to the gas lines and other aforementioned improvements outside removing the three (3) trees. N/A 4. Street frontage and parking lot trees and landscaping shall be preserved, unless otherwise approved by the Administrator. Docusign Envelope ID: 9B8C35A9-4053-47FC-9E0A-8AA23E286ECD City of Renton Department of Community & Economic Development 3512 NE 10th Ct Tree Removal Routine Vegetation Management Permit LUA25-000163, RVMP Permit Date: June 11, 2025 Page 3 of 4 Staff Comments: Not applicable. The subject trees are not street frontage trees nor parking lot trees. Neither street frontage nor parking landscape is proposed to be removed. N/A 5. The land clearing and tree removal shall not remove any landscaping or protected trees required as part of a land development permit. Staff Comments: Not applicable. The tree removal would not be removing landscaping or protected trees required as part of a land development permit. YES 6. The land clearing and tree removal shall maintain visual screening and buffering between land uses of differing intensity, consistent with applicable landscaping and setback provisions. Staff Comments: The surrounding properties are single-family residential uses and the tree removal activity would not remove any applicable landscaping or impact buffering between differing land use intensities. The Douglas fir trees appear to be acting as a landscape buffer between the applicant’s property at 3512 NE 10th Ct (APN 0425500150) and the neighboring property to the east at 3520 NE 10th Ct (APN 0425500160) since the trees were planted along the property line. No visual screening or landscape buffering is required between single-family residences. Since the tree roots have been impacting the neighbor’s home, the applicant and the neighbor have been in contact over the proposed tree removal. This demonstrates that both parties impacted by the disappearing buffer are aware that the trees are being proposed for removal. YES 7. The land clearing and tree removal shall not create or contribute to a hazardous condition, such as increased potential for blowdown, pest infestation, disease, or other problems that may result from selectively removing trees and other vegetation from a lot. Staff Comments: The removal of the trees, as recommended by the arborist, would not create a hazardous condition. Instead, it would mitigate current and future property damage and would remove the threat posed to the existing utilities. N/A 8. The land clearing and tree removal shall be consistent with the requirements of the Shoreline Master Program, pursuant to RMC 4-3-090F1, Vegetation Conservation, and RMC 4-4-130, Tree Retention and Land Clearing Regulations. Staff Comments: Not applicable. The property is not located within shoreline jurisdiction. DECISION: The 3512 NE 10th Ct Tree Removal Routine Vegetation Management Permit, LUA25-000163, RVMP is Approved. SIGNATURE & DATE OF DECISION: Matthew Herrera, Planning Director Date RECONSIDERATION: Within 14 days of the decision date, any party may request that the decision be reopened by the approval body. The approval body may modify his decision if material evidence not readily discoverable prior to the original decision is found or if he finds there was misrepresentation of fact. After review of the reconsideration Docusign Envelope ID: 9B8C35A9-4053-47FC-9E0A-8AA23E286ECD 6/11/2025 | 4:26 PM PDT City of Renton Department of Community & Economic Development 3512 NE 10th Ct Tree Removal Routine Vegetation Management Permit LUA25-000163, RVMP Permit Date: June 11, 2025 Page 4 of 4 request, if the approval body finds sufficient evidence to amend the original decision, there will be no further extension of the appeal period. Any person wishing to take further action must file a formal appeal within the 14-day appeal time frame. APPEALS: This administrative land use decision will become final if not appealed in writing to the Hearing Examiner on or before 5:00 PM on June 25, 2025. An appeal of the decision must be filed within the 14-day appeal period (RCW 43.21.C.075(3); WAC 197-11-680). Appeals must be submitted electronically to the City Clerk at cityclerk@rentonwa.gov or delivered to City Hall 1st floor Lobby Hub Monday through Friday. The appeal fee, normally due at the time an appeal is submitted, will be collected at a future date if your appeal is submitted electronically. The appeal submitted in person may be paid on the first floor in our Finance Department. Appeals to the Hearing Examiner are governed by RMC 4-8-110 and additional information regarding the appeal process may be obtained from the City Clerk’s Office, cityclerk@rentonwa.gov. EXPIRATION: The Routine Vegetation Management Permit shall be valid for one year from the date of issuance. An extension may be granted by the Planning Division for a period of one year upon application by the property owner or manager. Application for such an extension must be made at least thirty (30) days in advance of the expiration of the original permit and shall include a statement of justification for the extension. ATTACHMENTS: Attachment A: Arborist Report, prepared by Cascade Clif Consulting, dated February 26, 2025 Attachment B: Tree Retention and Tree Credit Worksheet Attachment C: ISA Basic Tree Risk Assessment Form, Tree 1-3 Docusign Envelope ID: 9B8C35A9-4053-47FC-9E0A-8AA23E286ECD