50 Replies to "DELRIDGE TREE TAKEDOWN: 'Heartbreaking decision,' says owner"

• Openthedoor March 16, 2018 (9:09 am)

  @Jodi, our neighborhood has these trees on the parking strips and the City has came in this past week to remove several of them, as yours they have internal trunk rot…they are beautiful but as you said they’ve served their purpose in life and others can be planted so don’t feel sad just plant another one…or two!

• Betsy March 16, 2018 (9:15 am)

  Well, I’m glad I didn’t go yell at the owner yesterday. I wondered if the tree was sick – – it was very old.  Selfishly, I do wish they let it bloom one last time, made an announcement, held a celebration? Delridge neighbors surely would have come by to celebrate this stunning community celebrity. Thank you, Jodi, for the years of beauty your tree has brought to all of us, despite the damage and expense to your property. I hope you plant a beautiful, manageable fragrant blooming replacement to enjoy. I confess I am a little heartbroken, but I understand. Trees have natural lifespans. Snif. 

  • Sharon Peck March 16, 2018 (9:50 am)

    Thanks for your wonderful reply, Betsy.  

    • SaraB March 16, 2018 (11:24 am)

      I second Betsy’s sentiments.  I’ve been appreciating this amazing tree for many years, and it softens the blow of losing it to know that you too have loved and treasured it.  I’m selfishly glad I didn’t have to make the responsible decision you were faced with.  Thank you for saving a beautiful living thing for as long as possible.  

• Juliette March 16, 2018 (9:29 am)

  So glad to have found this article as I was ready to confront the owner as well. I was completely devastated this morning to discover it had been cut down. I’ve admired this tree on my commute to work for years now. I anticipate its beauty each morning and look forward each spring to its blossoming. I understand the dilemma the owner faced, however, like the commenter above, I am bewildered that the owner would not have announced her plans to the community so that people could visit to admire it one last time. Also, would it have hurt to allow it to bloom once more before destroying it?

  • J March 16, 2018 (4:53 pm)

    Are you joking?

  • AMD March 16, 2018 (8:33 pm)

    Blooming adds weight to the branches of the tree.  If it’s already dangerous due to its condition, any additional weight increases the chances of failure and damage or injury.

    I’m also the owner of a gorgeous (but flawed) tree that I’m working with an arborist to keep healthy and low-hazard.  He recommended doing the trimming and other work before it bloomed for that reason.  So that’s my guess on this property too.

• dot March 16, 2018 (9:34 am)

  It’s too bad but on a brighter note the city will give you free help to plant new trees, they will even give the trees to you for free once a year or you can just buy your own.

  Google “Trees for Seattle”.

  You can plant them in your yard or on the green space between the sidewalk and the street.

  • WSB March 16, 2018 (9:49 am)

    Thanks, Dot!

    http://www.seattle.gov/trees/treesforneighborhoods.htm

    (Commenters can just paste links and they’ll automatically hotlink, no code necessary.)

• sc March 16, 2018 (9:52 am)

  Someone a long time ago planted that tree and you have enjoyed it. 

  Now plant another tree that someone in the future will enjoy!

• Apey March 16, 2018 (10:00 am)

  Oh my goodness, this decision was obviously already very difficult for the owner. I don’t think being chastised by random folks for not holding a tree memorial service is very helpful. I love this city and it’s passionate people, but sometimes I just have to shake my head and roll my eyes!

  • West Seattle Hipster March 16, 2018 (10:31 am)

    I could not agree more.  Reading some of the comments I had to verify I was reading the WSB and not The Onion.

    it was a tree, not a human life.  A tree that  was causing financial cost to the property owner.  The proper decision was made.

    • alkigranny March 17, 2018 (9:29 pm)

      Finally, a reality focus here. It was a tree!!!!!!!

• Jay March 16, 2018 (10:07 am)

  Not sure why neighbors feel entitled to property owners decisions on what they do with their own property… I say this in regards to the comments above.

  This owner was not obligated to announce their decision nor explain themselves in the aftermath. 

  • WSB March 16, 2018 (10:18 am)

    No, she absolutely was not, but it’s my job to ask questions, especially when it’s clear a lot of people are wondering. Whether people reply is up to them. I was glad she did, and she also thanked me in her reply for providing an opportunity to let people know. Regarding the person who wondered about the timing … having had to talk to tree services last year, I would note that scheduling is a big issue this time of year. We found very long lead times, even early in the season.

    • fakenews? March 16, 2018 (11:06 am)

      WSB, wow.  Just wow.  I have been watching CNN pretty much since the President won the election and I have literally been at a loss as to why people are attacking the media so much.  I can certainly see how CNN is sensational (everything is “Breaking News”?), but I certainly don’t see them as fake.  I 100% believe in a free press and its importance to our democracy, but with your “it’s my job to ask questions” I instantaneously see why some people don’t like the media.  Really, you feel it is your job to ask questions about what a private land owner, in a middle of the road house, is doing regarding a tree that is on their property?  This is not a business, not a millionaire trampling on other people’s rights because they can, this is just a run of the mill person trying to live their life.  What exactly do you feel gives you the right to bring so much visibility to this?  Correction, I will concede you have the “right”, but where is your common decency?  

      • WSB March 16, 2018 (11:25 am)

        I’ve been working in news for 35+ years, neighborhood news for 10 of those, and trying to find out the answer to “hey, what’s the deal with …” questions that were surfaced to us has been a large part of the latter. It might be trees, buildings, new businesses, flyers on utility poles, unusual boats passing, people dancing on street corners, artists painting portraits on signal boxes … Don’t know how that shows a lack of “common decency.” Having seen some of the photos people were sharing in the aforementioned social-media discussion, the tree’s visibility and newsworthiness are obvious. Aside from that, trees are considered by the city to be something in the public interest, whether on private or public property, and regulated:

        http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/codesrules/codes/treeprotection/default.htm

        -TR

        • sc March 16, 2018 (11:42 am)

          I appreciate that WSB asks questions that I am thinking.

          After all this isn’t Russia.  Yet?

        • alkigranny March 17, 2018 (9:14 pm)

          For years, I could not get city permission to take down a tree on my property in West Seattle. I needed to prove it was rotten and I just didn’t have the financial means to do so. But, good ol’ Mother Nature decided to intervene on my behalf during a violent windstorm. Not only did I get a new deck, shed and landscaping (courtesy of homeowner’s insurance) but the city paid my deductible. How’s that for karma? Sometimes too many greedy city ordinances and codes requiring a permit (at homeowner’s expense) are not always a good thing.  

      • LORAXE March 16, 2018 (11:31 am)

        I think it’s okay to reach out to someone to ask what was up with a big tree on their property.  Even if they weren’t reporters I don’t see why you would have a problem with someone talking to a neighbor like that.  

        I certainly wouldn’t be offended if I took down a tree (even if I just took it down because I hate trees, let alone if I took it down because it was diseased and old) and someone chatted me up about it.

        I can’t believe you think asking someone about the tree was indecent!

      • mcbride March 16, 2018 (12:21 pm)

        Fake,

        You do realize that the press asking questions of the public is a common practice, right? That not every piece of journalism is muckraking? News happens on many levels, and in many cases the press, through asking, is able to share a story that would not otherwise be told, to the benefit of all. Anybody that does not want to talk to the press can, at any time, say “I’d rather not talk about that.”

        Maybe you didn’t care about this tree. Lots of other people did. Maybe you don’t want to talk about your tree. The owner of this one did. The fact is that publishing this story was helpful to pretty much everyone concerned (about the tree). 

        Jodi, sorry about the tree. Thanks for sharing it with us.

• property watcher March 16, 2018 (10:38 am)

  “see if the property had a development proposal or recent sale”

  Well, maybe not at this exact property, but there was a recent sale 2 doors north.  Now 3 properties in a row have same owner (and lots of tree work the last 2 weeks- signed, someone in earshot)

  • chemist March 17, 2018 (12:00 am)

    Actually, both properties to the north look to have gone through late 2017 sales/transfers to Julie and Jodi Optiz.  Parcels 788150-0285 and 788150-0295.  All are NC1-40 zoned too.

• theLorax March 16, 2018 (10:40 am)

  My god, what right would anyone think they have to confront the owner of the property?  We have laws in civil society and there are reasons why the permitting process exists (or doesn’t) in many cases.  If someone is concerned about something then the appropriate thing would be to contact the city to see if any laws are being violated.  If not, then people should really leave the owner alone.  Do people really want to live under this type of microscope from other people?  A few of the reactions here seem beyond intrusive and I can’t help feeling like it is this sense of entitlement that is at the crux of the discord you see in our country today.  This is occurring on both ends of the political divide and continuing to prop up this level of vitriol doesn’t really bode well for our future.  I get it, but people should really try to fight against being so judgmental and remember that they might not appreciate it if they are leveled with that same type of judgement from someone else.

• Greg March 16, 2018 (11:09 am)

  “The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, the second best time is now”

• Juliette March 16, 2018 (11:16 am)

  To all of you rolling your eyes and “checking that this is not The Onion”, I feel sad that you’re unable to appreciate how a tree can be so much more than just a feature of someone’s property.  I understand this person had to make a difficult decision, one that was clearly necessary.  I’m not begrudging her that, I just wish that everyone whose day had once been brightened by gazing at that tree had had an opportunity to say goodbye and take in its beauty one last time. To all of you, I say… Go find a tree to sit under today and invite some beauty into your lives. <3

• AmandaK March 16, 2018 (11:41 am)

  Thank you SO much for asking after the tree WSB.  I noticed that it was gone yesterday, and my heart squeezed a bit.  I figured it had something to do with its age and condition.  All good things must come to an end :)

• Openthedoor March 16, 2018 (11:51 am)

  And to all of you that wanted it NOT CUT down what would you be saying if it fell and hit your car or if Heaven forbid it fell on a person???

   

  • Juliette March 16, 2018 (1:36 pm)

    Not a single person has suggested that the tree should NOT have been cut down. Everyone seems to understand that it was a difficult, yet necessary decision. I wish people would read comments more carefully.

    • Ron Swanson March 16, 2018 (2:11 pm)

      “So glad to have found this article as I was ready to confront the owner as well.”

      Literally your own comment.  I read it carefully, and it suggests to me you were saying that if it hadn’t been diseased, and the owner had cut it down for aesthetic reasons, you’d be instigating a ‘confrontation’ over it.  Which strikes me as a rather entitled view that you should have a say in what a property owner legally does on their land.

      • fiz March 16, 2018 (7:30 pm)

        We have spent thousands to maintain and nurture an ancient and unique tree.  And I can tell that when its time has come I will not put out notice for ya’all to come hug it and kiss it goodbye.  Not after reading this thread.

• West Seattle since 1979 March 16, 2018 (12:17 pm)

  I don’t see the problem with WSB asking the owner questions about the tree, since it’d been there a long time  and many people would be wondering what happened. And the owner could have refused to answer, and WSB would have gone along with that. But the owner very kindly explained what happened.

  But I do have a problem with people castigating the tree owner for her decision! That is her tree, and it was a danger. She chose to remove it before something dangerous and possibly tragic happened—she was being a good citizen. But even if she’d removed it because she got tired of it, it’s still her tree! 

  • Juliette March 16, 2018 (1:28 pm)

    No one is castigating the tree owner for her decision to remove the tree. There has only been frustration and sadness amongst the tree’s fans regarding there not being any notice to the public about the pending removal. The property owner obviously had some inkling as to the potential of an outcry as she says in her emailed response to WSB that she knew she would hear about this and “almost posted a sign”. We just wish she had. That is all.

• ERIN98126 March 16, 2018 (12:34 pm)

  @fakenews, This is the West Seattle BLOG, a site about goings-ons in our neighborhood. I always look to WSB to find answers about what’s happening in my community. It’s because WSB ASKS questions that I can almost always find an answer. I appreciate the Blog. 

• WS Taxpayer March 16, 2018 (12:51 pm)

  Could you recommend a good arborist as I have a challenging large dogwood that needs attention!

• Melissa March 16, 2018 (12:57 pm)

  I’ve driven past that tree for 21 years. Every spring, I’ve purposefully taken Delridge more than I usually would so I could see the gorgeous blossoms on this tree. I appreciate the homeowner’s thoughtfulness and WSB’s reporting of the life and death of the tree. It was a breath-taking beauty while it lasted.

• Pigeon Hill March 16, 2018 (1:31 pm)

  I’ve lived in this neighborhood for 15 years. My wife and I have always enjoyed seeing this tree in bloom. We got 15 years of beauty from it, we would love to have it forever but everything has it’s time. I appreciate that the owners gave us that, and commiserate with their loss. Thanks a lot – you’ve given something great to the neighborhood for all these years. If the tree is sick, you are doing the right thing.

  My suggestion to anyone worked up about this non-issue: go plant a cherry tree this weekend so in 30 years other people can have this argument.

• jhoff March 16, 2018 (2:08 pm)

  Thanks WSB for asking the questions and reporting the response.  I’m sad but understand.  Glad you ask questions – keep it up.  We rely on you!

• Deb March 16, 2018 (2:20 pm)

  Jodi – Thank you for caring for the tree over the years. The species is delightfull but unfortunately not known for long term health. I hope that you are able to put another flowering beauty in its place and enjoy the views it will provide. Thanks to the WSB for asking the questions that many of us wonder about.  

• Mr. Picky March 16, 2018 (3:25 pm)

  Tree lovers of West Seattle.

  For those who are wondering, if you have what the city considers an Exceptional Tree, who do need a special permit to fell the tree whether or not it is on your property.  The Seattle Tree Protection Code is very explicit about what you can and cannot do with “your” tree. We do also own a large tree that we recently had trimmed to ensure its health and extend its life. There were quite a few neighbors who came by and told us how relieved they were that we hadn’t cut it down. We were frankly amazed that our neighbors had come to have a special relationship with our beast.  Because the thing doesn’t wholly belong to us, in fact and in spirit.

  If someone out there has a different interpretation of the Municipal Code please let me know. I’m not a lawyer or an aborist.

• Permitee March 16, 2018 (3:30 pm)

  I wonder if Jodi was aware of Seattle’s Tree protection codes?

  Her property is designated Critical Area with Steep Slopes and the entire lot is rated Possible Slide on Seattle DCI GIS mapping.

  These codes require her to get a permit to remove any tree on her property.  Even Hazard Trees require the application and $150 for the permit.  But since her land is listed as a Critical Area, she is required to hire a specialized Consulting Arborist for another couple hundred dollars to inspect the tree and write a report to go with the application.   She would also be required to file a mitigation plan prepared by a professional that would include replanting like amount of tree(s).

  Also she may be in violation of Seattle DCI Director’s Rule 16-2008 concerning Exceptional Trees.  It states it is illegal to remove Flowering Cherry trees that meet the 1′ 11″ criteria for tree trunk diameter which her tree appears to exceed.

  I wonder how many people lamenting the removal of beautiful trees like this have trees in their own yards, or are aware of the restrictions ?

• Chris March 16, 2018 (3:35 pm)

  In response to someone looking for an arborist, we have enjoyed using Blue Ribbon Tree at 844-643-3328.   We had problem trees and were at a loss what to do.   They helped us make a decision and then helped us put trees back in their place.   They have helped others we know, and always the very best.   Hope this helps.

• MaryV March 16, 2018 (3:55 pm)

  I luv these flowering cherry trees but look at that thing from the google pic…it’s a monster when it’s in full leafed out glory you can’t even see their front door! Someone could break-in and no one would even know it.

• alyca March 16, 2018 (7:37 pm)

  I live a few blocks away and have always admired this tree, especially the few weeks a year when it blooms.  It has always looked like a lot of work with all the shedding it does.. (picture from March 2016)

• South Delridge Gal March 16, 2018 (9:49 pm)

  Cheers to that beautiful old tree! I certainly did enjoy looking at it over the past 8 years. 

• Delridge commuter March 17, 2018 (5:00 pm)

  I was always amazed that tree lasted as long as it did.  It was beautiful and I understand the decision to cut it down.  We are cutting down an old apple for the same reason. Thanks to the West Seattle Blog for reporting and the owner for letting us know.  

• j March 18, 2018 (8:52 am)

  One of the best trees in Seattle!!!

  Too bad!

  There are some more beautiful weeping cherries that are decent size by a school (not sure name) in Highland Park. The trees in Highland Park are nowhere near the age and beauty of the specimen tree on The Del. but they are mature and beautiful just the same. Plus there are several there if I remember correctly. Haven’t been by in a while. 

• D March 18, 2018 (9:33 am)

  Thank you WSB for sharing this. These news stories make west seattle feel like a small town. I’ve always loved seeing that tree in bloom every year. 

• Peter & Stephanie March 21, 2018 (7:43 pm)

  Jodie Optiz, thank you for letting the community know. We’ve lived in WS for 14 years and the cherry was an icon for us. We waited patiently every March to see when the first flowers would bud. Our grumbling cranky drive home from the zoo in the evenings was capped by seeing the cherry in her full glory. We loved it as much as you did. We are sorry to see it go but know you were a caring and loving steward for her life. We share your pain and sorrow. We will cherish the memories as we are sure you will to. Looking forward to the new tree that will grace the spot.

  Sincerely, your attentive neighbors at Duwamish Cohousing. 

• Michael Gilmore March 21, 2018 (8:11 pm)

  I saw this today for the first time and gasped. I’ve only lived here in Delridge for two years but I’ve loved that tree from afar. 

  I also think it’s totally, absolutely remarkable what kind of community we have. Not ONLY do we have loving and caring homeowners who risk their house’s foundations and pipes to protect a beautiful tree, not ONLY do we have an amazing blog that covers local happenings, from murders to small business openings to tree fellings, not ONLY do we have these things above, but we have 50+ people sharing their memories and observations and general sadness over its loss, with loving empathy for the owners who had to make the tough decision. 

  Sometimes I’m heart broken about what is happening “to our society” at the national level, but then I remember, what happens closest to us is what really matters. And I’m so, so lucky and privileged to live in a neighborhood–  a COMMUNITY– as great as this one. 

Sorry, comment time is over.