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Residents urge Mercer Island to pause synagogue redevelopment over large tree removals
Summary
Speakers raised concerns about a redevelopment of the HNT synagogue site and associated tree removals—citing an estimated 82 mature trees, a $27,000 fee-in-lieu mitigation, and a hearing-examiner decision that residents say inadequately protected exceptional trees.
Several residents urged the council to review and halt planned tree removal tied to a redevelopment of the former HNT synagogue property (a K–8 school site), saying the environmental and traffic impacts were not adequately addressed in the hearing examiner’s decision.
Winky Le told the council she had just learned the permit was approved and said the arborist report on file did not evaluate full removal of roughly 82 full-grown trees, some as large as 38 inches in diameter. Le said the approval included a mitigation option limited to a fee of about $27,000 rather than retaining or adequately mitigating for large trees.
Resident Murkis Gomez said the examiner’s decision required replacement totaling 441 trees but allowed the applicant to plant 34 two-foot deciduous maples and pay a fee in lieu for the remaining 407 trees. Gomez cited the applicant’s arborist warning that exceptional trees (over 24 inches) and healthy groves should be prioritized for retention and said removing trees on slopes could increase landslide and runoff risks. He asked the council to halt tree removal and address traffic impacts for the project at 3700 East Mercer Way until those issues are examined more thoroughly.
Speakers asked the council to re-examine the arborist analyses, the hearing-examiner consolidation of tree-permit decisions with design review, and traffic mitigation described in the project’s transportation impact analysis. Council members did not take an immediate action during the meeting; the concerns were raised during the public-comment period for council consideration.
