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Residents urge Lakewood to step up protections for Garry oaks
Summary
Speakers at the Feb. 18 Lakewood City Council meeting urged stronger enforcement of tree-protection rules after alleged construction damage and permit activity around mature Garry oaks; no formal city action was recorded during the meeting.
Speakers during the public comment period at the Lakewood City Council meeting on Feb. 18 urged the city to enforce tree-protection requirements after reports of construction damage to mature Garry oaks.
Christina Manetti, speaking on behalf of the Garry Oak Coalition of Lakewood, told the council the group has documented code violations including large piles of dirt placed at the bases of protected trees and construction that left critical root zones unprotected. "We first reported this violation near the intersection of Stillcomb Boulevard and Gravelly Lake Drive in November," Manetti said, adding that a developer had applied for a permit to remove a tree the coalition described as an "approximately 400 year old Garry oak." She said crews had already removed two of the largest Garry oaks to build apartments and that paving over root zones on nearby properties will likely cause long-term decline.
Manetti criticized past city practice, saying "the city's words about protecting Garry Oaks and other trees ring empty" and asked the city to require inspectors to verify tree protections before work begins. "The city needs to have its inspectors check to make sure that the trees are being properly protected before any of the work can proceed," she said.
A second speaker who identified herself as Christina Minetti (same individual name spelling inconsistent in the record) described the last 12 years in Lakewood as a period of substantial tree and natural-area loss and voiced skepticism about development decisions made to obtain grants or other funding. She urged officials to prioritize preserving the city's natural features.
No formal council action on tree protections was recorded in the meeting minutes or transcript excerpt. The public comments were acknowledged and entered into the record, and the mayor closed the public comment period before the council moved on to the consent agenda.
Speakers provided specific locations for alleged violations and requested inspection and enforcement: Stillcomb Boulevard and Gravelly Lake Drive; construction site adjacent to St. John's on Bridgeport; and other nearby properties where paving reached tree trunks, the coalition said.
