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Residents urge protection of Garry Oaks and question sidewalk projects; Chamber opposes B&O tax on warehousing
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Summary
Public commenters urged the city to protect Garry Oak habitat along Custer Road and re-evaluate sidewalk projects that remove mature trees; the Lakewood Chamber opposed a proposed B&O tax on warehousing and recommended a 1% public safety sales tax as a fairer alternative.
During the public-comment period at the March 16 Lakewood City Council meeting, several residents urged the city to protect trees and native habitat, and the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce opposed a proposed business and occupation (B&O) tax on warehousing.
Christina Manetti, speaking for the Gary Oak Coalition, told council she received a schematic showing a Custer Road sidewalk project that would remove three Garry Oaks (two about 12 inches in diameter and one about 14 inches). She described Garry Oaks as a keystone species for a rare local prairie ecosystem and cited Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife guidance that Garry Oaks west of the Cascades should not be removed except for stand enhancement. "A sidewalk is not stand enhancement," Manetti said, and asked that the sidewalk design be revised to avoid cutting oaks and to better respect the habitat on the school property adjacent to Dower Elementary.
Helen Wagner also urged stronger tree protections, calling the draft tree code "cosmetic" and warning that existing rules can be circumvented by developers, particularly to the detriment of oaks.
Haley Ivy said park shorelines and Edgewater Park are in a degraded state with trash, invasive ivy and shopping carts in Seeley Lake, and opposed further paving of small park areas without adequate environmental consideration.
Separately, Linda Smith, representing the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce, urged the council to oppose a B&O tax targeted at warehousing and urged the city to preserve its policy of not imposing B&O taxes on business. She said cumulative new costs already burden employers (including recent West Pierce Fire and Rescue charge increases) and that a 1% public safety sales tax spreads responsibility more broadly.
What it means: Public commenters asked the council to weigh redesign or mitigation for sidewalk projects that affect mature oaks and to ensure the tree code and project designs better protect rare native habitats. Chamber comments put a tax-policy proposal on the record for council consideration.
Next steps: Staff said it will follow up on tree-removal questions raised during public comment and provide clarifying information to council about which trees, if any, would be removed as part of specific sidewalk projects.
