Our Partners
We are honored to work with community partners.
Now is the Time
Millions of Square Feet
We have millions of square feet of office space being built in downtown Bellevue for Amazon. This project completes in 2025 and brings with it significant demand for housing. Amazon alone represents over 25,000 jobs, for which people will need to be housed. Other office development plans are underway, and major growth is coming to our city.
There are already plans in the works to re-zone the neighborhood between SE 8th and Main Street from to house apartment buildings up to 30 stories tall. Read more about this in GeekWire.
Old homes are being torn down, and new larger homes are being built in their place. In the process, large quantities of significant trees are coming down. These trees take many decades to grow.
In Bellevue, developers can cut down five significant trees without a permit. A significant tree is defined as 8" in diameter. These trees take approximately 25 - 45 years to grow. Read more about this on the city's website.
You can imagine how quickly these regulations could change the face of our community. You can see it, already...if you look around.
Bellevue's tree code needs to be updated to include:
- Permits for all Significant or Landmark Tree removals
- Minimum tree density requirements
- Special protections for Landmark Trees
- Replacement tree requirements
- & More.
Bellevue defines a significant tree as 8" in diameter...
These trees take 25 - 45 years to grow.
Other major municipalities in the Puget Sound region define significant trees as 6" in diameter.
Can you imagine...
5 Fewer Trees?
With 5 fewer trees, 50% of the trees from the pictured home would be gone. Imagine what a difference that would make in the feel of the street, the neighborhood, and the community.
Let's Compare Regulations...
Bellevue
Bellevue
Bellevue
On private property, a permit is required for more than 5 Significant Trees to be removed. Significant trees are defined as 8" in diameter.
Source: BellevueWA.gov/TreeRemoval
Issaquah
Bellevue
Bellevue
On private property, a permit is required for any Significant Trees to be removed. Significant Trees are defined as 6" in diameter, and codes allow for the removal of a maximum of 2 trees in one year and 4 in five years for a typical lot.
Source: Issaquah.gov/FAQsForTreeRemoval
Redmond
Bellevue
Redmond
On private property, a permit is required for any Significant Trees to be removed. Significant Trees are defined as 6" in diameter. Significant Trees can be removed at a rate of 2 in one year for a typical lot.
Source:
Seattle
Kirkland
Redmond
On private property, a permit is required for any Significant Trees to be removed. Significant Trees are defined as 6" in diameter.
Source: SeattleWA.gov/TreeRemoval
Kirkland
Kirkland
Kirkland
On private property, a permit is required for more than 2 Significant Trees to be removed. Significant trees are defined as 6" in diameter.
Source:
KirklandWA.gov/TreeRetentionRemoval
Lynwood
Kirkland
Kirkland
On private property, a permit is required for any Significant Trees to be removed. Significant Trees are defined as 6" in diameter.
Source:
Sammamish
Mercer Island
Sammamish
On private property, a permit is required for any Significant Trees to be removed. Significant Trees are defined as 8" in diameter for coniferous trees and 12" in diameter for deciduous trees. The number of trees allowed to be removed varies by lot size and location.
Source:
Renton
Mercer Island
Sammamish
On private property, a permit is required for any Significant Trees to be removed. Landmark Trees or Protected Trees to be removed enjoy special protections. Codes allow for the removal of a maximum of 2 trees in one year and 4 in five years for a typical lot. Renton also sets per-lot minimums for tree coverage.
Source:
Mercer Island
Mercer Island
Mercer Island
On private property, a permit is required for any Exceptional Trees or Large Trees to be removed. Exceptional Trees and Large Trees are defined as 10" in diameter. Additional protections are in place for trees in critical areas.
Source: MercerIsland.gov/TreeFAQs