Shoreline enacts six‑month interim ban on removal of very large trees in two town‑center zones

On Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, the Shoreline City Council adopted Ordinance 1031, an interim regulation that prohibits removal of trees measuring 60 inches diameter at breast height (DBH) or greater in the Town Center 3 and Town Center 4 zoning districts. The council voted unanimously to adopt the six‑month interim rule.

The ordinance is intended to protect “exceptional” large trees while the city completes a broader update to its private‑property tree code. Sierra Carson, senior planner, told council the interim regulation would apply for six months, cover trees greater than 60 inches DBH in TC‑3 and TC‑4, and include exemptions for hazardous trees—those that are dead, permanently damaged, continuing to decline in health, or that otherwise pose a threat to public health or property. Carson said the interim regulations are intended to allow the city time to evaluate a comprehensive code update and better implement the city’s recently adopted policies on tree canopy and climate goals.

Supporters and opponents spoke during the public comment period. Kathleen Russell, representing the Tree Preservation Code Team, said the ordinance follows policy direction in the comprehensive plan and urged broader protections: “These exceptional trees, 80 to a 100 years and older, are powerhouses of nature,” Russell said. Neighboring property owners raised concerns about a large non‑native sequoia adjacent to a former Bank of America site; K. Robert McCahon described root and debris impacts on adjacent property and asked for exceptions for certain non‑native or hazardous situations. Theresa Olsen, a co‑owner of Windermere Real Estate Shoreline, urged council members to inspect the site and consider impacts to adjacent pavement and utilities.

Council members who spoke described field visits and emphasized the interim, temporary nature of the regulation. Several members said the pause gives staff and council time to research and craft a permanent tree code. The council confirmed the ordinance applies only to healthy, non‑hazardous trees and that a process exists to determine hazardous status. A public hearing on the ordinance is scheduled for the 10th (date provided in the meeting as “the 10th”).

The ordinance was sponsored by council members Ramsdale and Ottamansu and will be followed by additional public hearings and code work intended to consider expansion of protections elsewhere in the city.

What the ordinance does: it prohibits removal of trees 60 inches DBH or greater in TC‑3 and TC‑4 for six months, with an exemption process for hazardous trees. Next steps: staff will continue work on the comprehensive tree code update and the council will hold the scheduled public hearing to collect additional testimony before any extension or permanent adoption.