Shoreline council adopts amended tree-removal fee schedule, sets higher charges for large trees

The Shoreline City Council on March 3 voted to adopt Resolution No. 541, amending the 2025 planning and community development fee schedule to charge a base fee of $3,325 for permitted removal of trees 24 inches diameter at breast height (DBH) and greater, with an additional $100 for each inch above 24 (Option 5). The final motion passed 6–1 after council members earlier approved an amendment to replace the staff recommendation with Option 5 by a 5–2 vote.

Council action matters because the change creates a uniform, citywide charge applied when a property owner seeks a permit to remove a large tree, and it ties into a broader rewrite of Shoreline’s tree code scheduled for later this year. Staff told the council the fee applies only to permitted removals of trees 24 inches DBH or greater; replacement and retention requirements remain in force in addition to the new fee.

City staff presented four options for calculating a fee in lieu for permitted removal of large trees. Staff’s original recommendation (Option 3) tied the fee to quantified ecological values estimated by a canopy benefits tool and…