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Commission reviews targeted tree-code changes amid resident pleas for hazardous-tree exemptions
Summary
Staff proposed moving from a 3-in-5-year removal limit toward a 5-in-5-year allowance, adding flexibility for unpermitted clearing enforcement, removing rigid commercial "tree tract" siting rules and aligning a class-5 forest-practices threshold with state code; public commenters urged explicit exemptions for hazardous trees and better mitigation options for HOAs.
Hans Shepherd, a long-range planner with the City of Lacey, briefed the commission on targeted tree-code topics the council asked staff to review in advance of a broader urban-forest update. Shepherd described the middle-ground proposal to allow "5 trees in a 5 year period" on residential lots (up from the current 3-in-5 limitation) and said staff would draft language to give planning and enforcement staff more nuanced pathways to respond to unpermitted clearing.
Public commenters earlier in the meeting urged exemptions for large or hazardous trees. "Homeowners should have the latitude to be able to remove trees based on those factors regardless of the standard 5 in 5 years," said Shaylee Marzoff. David Radabaugh, speaking as an HOA president, warned that current mitigation ratios could require impractical replacements: "I believe it's section 71 of the tree ordinance... would require 15 mitigation trees," he said, adding the HOA lacks space and funding to meet that standard. Staff responded that hazardous or diseased determinations are made by the city arborist and that staff will explore adding director discretion or clearer exemption language; Shepherd said the draft code also proposes removing the specific "tree tract" siting requirement in some commercial zones while retaining total tree-count obligations. A public hearing on the draft amendments is scheduled for Aug. 26.
