HomeMy WebLinkAboutAttachment B_Project Narrative and CorrespondenceFrom: Christopher Rippey <chris@rippeyarboriculture.com>
Sent: Tuesday, January 05, 2021 5:24 PM
To: Angelea Weihs; Ray Robinson
Cc: Carrie Fannin
Subject: RE: CHILD - Routine Vegetation Management Permit
Hello Angela,
Limiting access under the canopy of the trees which are posing imminent hazard would not adequately
mitigate the risk related to these trees. Several of the trees that I am most concerned about are trees
that are likely to fail at their root system where the entire tree would fall and impact an area as far out
from the base of the tree as the tree is tall. Two trees where this is the case are next to the parking lot.
These trees will impact an area of about 100’ into the parking area. Another tree that I am concerned
about is overhanging the driveway to the school parking lot. Blocking off the area under this tree will
mean blocking off the access to the school’s parking lot.
Just to state my experience in mitigating tree related risk, I have been Tree Risk Assessor Qualified
through the International Society of Arboriculture for nearly 10 years, I am the founder of the Pacific
Northwest Tree Failure Database, I write a quarterly article about tree failures for the Pacific North West
Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture, and was the Arborist for both Stanford University
and the City of Seattle Parks. These trees are high risk and need to be removed as soon as possible to
provide adequate public safety.
From: Angelea Weihs <AWeihs@Rentonwa.gov>
Sent: Tuesday, January 5, 2021 4:24 PM
To: Ray Robinson <r.robinson@i-s-d.com>
Cc: Carrie Fannin <carrie@CHILDnow.org>; Christopher Rippey <chris@rippeyarboriculture.com>
Subject: RE: CHILD - Routine Vegetation Management Permit
Hello,
I forgot to cc other parties. See below.
Thank you,
Angelea Weihs
Associate Planner, City of Renton
1055 S. Grady Way
Renton, WA 98057
(425) 430-7312
From: Angelea Weihs
Sent: Tuesday, January 5, 2021 4:22 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside the City of Renton. Do not click links, reply or open
attachments unless you know the content is safe.
To: Ray Robinson <r.robinson@i-s-d.com>
Subject: RE: CHILD - Routine Vegetation Management Permit
Hello Ray,
Tree removal without the required permit approval is not permitted. I am very surprised the school is
open at this time during Covid. If there are concerns, I would suggest putting up temporary tree
protection fencing around the dripline of the trees to prevent access around the concerning trees.
Thank you,
Angelea Weihs
Associate Planner, City of Renton
1055 S. Grady Way
Renton, WA 98057
(425) 430-7312
From: Ray Robinson <r.robinson@i-s-d.com>
Sent: Tuesday, January 5, 2021 4:08 PM
To: Angelea Weihs <AWeihs@Rentonwa.gov>
Cc: Carrie Fannin <carrie@CHILDnow.org>; Christopher Rippey <chris@rippeyarboriculture.com>
Subject: FW: CHILD - Routine Vegetation Management Permit
Importance: High
Angelea,
We are making fairly good headway in completing all the requested permit documents and will be
sending them once we have the Geotechnical Report.
In a recent conversation with Chris Rippey, there is significant concern about a number of trees that
pose an immediate risk to students and staff at CHILD.
Specifically, these include:
· North of main building/south of play area: (2) trees need removal, (4) trees need corrective
pruning
· Parking lot: (4) trees need removal
Can these trees be removed/pruned as an emergency measure now while the permit documents are
being prepared?
Chris Rippey is available to provide you with the specifics and can be reached by email
chris@rippeyarboriculture.com or phone 253-247-1980
Please let me know at your convenience.
CAUTION: This email originated from outside the City of Renton. Do not click links, reply or open
attachments unless you know the content is safe.
Much Thanks
From: Christopher Rippey <chris@rippeyarboriculture.com>
Sent: Tuesday, January 5, 2021 3:33 PM
To: Ray Robinson <r.robinson@i-s-d.com>
Cc: Carrie Fannin <carrie@CHILDnow.org>
Subject: Re: CHILD - tree removal process
Yes, they are hazardous.
Several of the maple tree are infected with Cryptostroma corticale that can cause respiratory infections
is humans. There are also several large dead trees on the retaining wall east of the parking lot that will
impact the parking stalls when they fail. As someone who has managed tree related risk for Stanford
University and Seattle Parks, all the to-be removed trees needed to be removed when we first identified
them in fall of 2020. I think it is unwise for Renton Planning Department to delay the removal of these
trees. In my experience, the typical municipal protocol for hazardous trees, would be for them to allow
us to remove the trees and apply for a permit post removal.
Chris Rippey
Consulting Arborist, Rippey Arboriculture
www.RippeyArboriculture.com
253-247-1980
From: Ray Robinson <r.robinson@i-s-d.com>
Sent: Tuesday, January 5, 2021 6:52:20 AM
To: Christopher Rippey <chris@rippeyarboriculture.com>
Cc: Carrie Fannin <carrie@CHILDnow.org>
Subject: RE: CHILD - tree removal process
Chris,
Thanks for getting to this…….Carrie asked if there is a danger to the children from trees falling.
Per the email threads below, I indicated you would be in the best position to assess the likelihood of
trees falling…….I also stated there are numerous factors and that there is not a way to accurately predict
this.
She indicates that students are kept out of the forested areas, but are in other areas (parking lot and
play area) where trees are a concern.
Based on your familiarity of the trees and the site, in your opinion, are there trees that are of immediate
concern?
If you think there trees that may be a hazzard now, can you identify these areas and cordon them off
sufficiently to keep staff and students out of harms way?
I look forward to hearing back.
Thanks,
From: Carrie Fannin <carrie@CHILDnow.org>
Sent: Monday, January 4, 2021 3:25 PM
To: Ray Robinson <r.robinson@i-s-d.com>
Subject: RE: CHILD - tree removal process
Thank you for the update. I appreciate it. We have no more than 28 students on campus right now (no more than 5 per
classroom (6 classrooms on site; one is 100% remote) according to current guidelines), so we are continuing to operate on a
hybrid model.
In terms of student access: there is NO access to the forested area; the tree(s) of concern are by the playground and on the
east side of the parcel (our upper parking lot) as those are the areas that children and/or staff “could” be at any given time. I
don’t notice any specific “lean”, but that said, some of them have “always” had a lean to them, so I’m probably not a good eye
to judge that.
Carrie Fannin
From: Ray Robinson [mailto:r.robinson@i-s-d.com]
Sent: Monday, January 04, 2021 2:13 PM
To: Carrie Fannin <carrie@CHILDnow.org>
Subject: RE: CHILD - tree removal process
Carrie,
My apologies for missing this email from you……
Based on the previous Geotechnical Report, there are a few areas that have unstable soil.
It is difficult to predict tree events…soil, soil moisture, wind, condition of trees all being factors.
Chris is the best one to assess imminent danger….I have a call and email into him and will get his opinion as soon as we connect.
Questions that I have:
· Are all the children attending classes on-site?
· Can their activities be restricted to known safe areas?
· Are there any changes in trees (leaning etc) near the play area and walkways?
In regards to timing, we need to respond 100% to Angelea’s correction requests and then whatever time they need to process
it……it may be possible to get a “hazard tree removal” permit if there is clearly a life safety issue.
I look to you and Chris as to whether or not to request immediate action or to let the process proceed.
From: Carrie Fannin <carrie@CHILDnow.org>
Sent: Tuesday, December 22, 2020 12:10 AM
To: Ray Robinson <r.robinson@i-s-d.com>
Subject: RE: CHILD - tree removal process
Hi Ray,
Yes to the Geotech. CHILD is the only owner of the property, so let me double check; I think our Board Chair has to sign that.
One important question: with all the rain, am I overreacting that these trees need to come down fast? The thought that
something happens, and we have a arborist’s report dated months ago seems to put us in a bad spot, liability wise. Remember
the last time the trees came down in the forest and fell on the neighboring property?
Can you calm my fear about that, while I look to get the form signed and notarized? J
Talk soon,
Carrie Fannin
From: Christopher Rippey <chris@rippeyarboriculture.com>
Sent: Monday, January 4, 2021 6:06 PM
To: Ray Robinson <r.robinson@i-s-d.com>
Cc: Carrie Fannin <carrie@CHILDnow.org>
Subject: Re: CHILD - tree removal process
I understand what is needed and should have everything corrected and sent back to you on Wednesday.
Chris Rippey
Consulting Arborist, Rippey Arboriculture
www.RippeyArboriculture.com
253-247-1980
From: Ray Robinson <r.robinson@i-s-d.com>
Sent: Monday, January 4, 2021 8:54:39 AM
To: Christopher Rippey <chris@rippeyarboriculture.com>
Cc: Carrie Fannin <carrie@CHILDnow.org>
Subject: RE: CHILD - tree removal process
Good Morning Chris,
I hope that you had a wonderful holiday…..and here we go into 2021!
In picking up where we left off, the corrections that need to be made per Angelea Weihs have to do with
discrepancies in the current tree plan and tree roster as shown in your Arboreal Report and as
represented in the currently proposed tree removal plan
Attached are:
· 2016 Amended Tree Inventory and Removal Plan….final documents with changes shown per
municipal direction
· 2013/14 Topographic Plan (with the existing trees shown) prepared by the Civil Engineer
· 2013/14 Tree Table (listing all trees shown on the topo plan) prepared by the Civil Engineer
· 2015 Arborist Report
These are the documents with information from which everything new needs to be based on.
Steps I suggest:
· Naming: re-title you document as “Arboreal Report” not “tree inventory”
· Review original Tree Removal Plan to make sure that what you show in your report is not
conflicting…..for example, if a tree was shown as removed before, it can not be shown as
removed again or pruned etc.
· Review the tree table…..all trees on the plan and in your report need to correspond to this and
the topo plan with trees.
The (4) trees in your report need to correspond to what is shown on the original topo……if these
trees were not shown on the original plan, then we need to assign them numbers….2280 is the
last trees designation in the original documents, and so if these are new trees, they will be 2281,
2282, 2283, and 2284 respectively.
I am in most of the week to go over this with you, make revisions to the Tree Removal Plan (reflecting
changes in your arboreal report), and re-submit all to Angelea.
I look forward to hearing back.
Thanks
From: Ray Robinson
Sent: Monday, December 21, 2020 4:08 PM
To: 'Christopher Rippey' <chris@rippeyarboriculture.com>; Carrie Fannin <carrie@CHILDnow.org>
Subject: CHILD - tree removal process
Importance: High
Chris and Carrie,
I received correction requests from Angelea which are as follows:
1. Land Use Permit Master Application: all property owners per the title report will need to sign
and have notarized
2. Arborist report revisions:
i. Re-number to eliminate duplicate numbers
ii. Include a description of the impact of removing trees to those that will remain
3. New Geotechnical Report
Actionable Items:
ISD:
· Coordinate with Carrie for notarized LUPA
· coordinate changes in the arboreal report with Chris
· revise the tree removal plan as needed
· coordinate with Geotech for new report
· resubmit all
Chris
· Revise tree numbers
· Add impact assessment
Carrie
· Authorize ISD to solicit a fee proposal from Geotech
ISD has limited time this week and the office will be closed from Thursday December 24 until Monday
January 4th.
I would like to proceed with completing the revisions starting at the beginning of January.
Let me know if this works well for you also.
Best Regards,
Be well, be safe, stay connected!
Ray Robinson RLA, ASLA
INTEGRATED SITE DESIGN, Inc.
Urban Design, Landscape Architecture, Environmental Planning
12743 26th Avenue NE Seattle, WA 98125
Direct: 206.363-9049
Web site: www.i-s-d.com