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Property owner offers to fund partial hedge replacement and fence; commission to refer costs to council and parks board
Summary
Rob Sears proposed removing a degraded cedar hedge and installing a 4-foot welded-wire fence on his property to stop dogs and teenagers from entering his yard. He offered to pay the first 62 feet of hedge replacement and the fence; contractors’ estimates presented put the total removal-and-replant cost at about $39,494 with the city's share around $26,264. Commissioners urged a targeted, lower-cost approach (removing dead trees to allow contractor access) and agreed to route the proposal to council and parks board for budget and policy review.
Rob Sears, a property owner adjacent to the dog beach, told the commission that a long-standing cedar hedge along the city property line is aged and in poor condition. He proposed removing the existing hedge, installing a 4-foot welded-wire fence on his side of the line, and planting a new hedge closer to the property line. Sears said he would cover the first 62 feet of replacement and the fence, and he presented a contractor estimate showing the total removal-and-replant cost at roughly $39,494.
Sears shared the contractor’s breakout: an estimate of $9,473 to remove stumps and a broader $39,494 figure to remove stumps, extract roots and replant. He said his one‑third share of the $39,494 figure would be about $13,230, leaving an estimated city portion near $26,264. Commissioners and Tree Board chair Dana Moulder questioned whether a crane or barge (to access felled trees) might reduce disturbance, and cautioned that the city’s capital budget and street-tree plan do not currently provide for a full replacement. Several commissioners suggested the most palatable near-term fix would be allowing removal of a small number of dead cedars so the property owner’s contractor can reach the willow tree that is the immediate concern.
Why it matters: The project sits at the intersection of private property maintenance and municipal park stewardship. Commissioners noted safety concerns about existing barb wire and old fencing on the city side, and that selective work could reduce tripping hazards, improve aesthetics and open pedestrian access.
Next steps: Commissioners agreed to add discussion of the hedge/fence to the next council packet and to ask staff to route aspects of the proposal to the parks board and tree board for design, permitting and budget advice. As a compromise, staff and the property owner discussed a limited, immediate removal of a few dead cedars that would allow contractor access to remove the failing willow without committing to full city-funded replacement.
