FOLLOWUP: Stadium trees inspected after 35th SW fall

(Reader photo, last Wednesday)

Last Wednesday night, that tree fell onto 35th SW between Avalon and Snoqualmie, taking down utility wires/cables and closing the street for 10 hours. The tree was on West Seattle Stadium property, so the next day we asked Seattle Parks about its inspection history and what would be done to check out the trees alongside it:

(Reader photo, looking southwest toward the tree stand that had included the one that fell)

We received the information today. Here’s what Parks spokesperson Rachel Schulkin told us about the tree that fell: “Based on our records, the trees were last inspected in 2017.” She also told us that Parks staffers inspected the site the day after the fall – last Thursday – “and also inspected the adjacent row of trees along the northwest stretch of West Seattle Stadium, to ensure that there was no other conditions of immediate concern.” Though 35th is a busy street and the tree fell in the heart of PM-commute time, it did not hit anyone or any vehicles.

13 Replies to "FOLLOWUP: Stadium trees inspected after 35th SW fall"

  • Neighbor January 9, 2023 (7:13 pm)

    Are the parks staffers who conducted the inspection arborists? I hope so!  What were the results of the inspection?

    • Amy Luu January 10, 2023 (6:11 pm)

      Does West Seattle have IS A Certified Arborists on staff?Does the Parks Dept have a Forestry Division?Would be interested to know if the trees were inspected by experienced licenced Arborists.

  • Odd son January 9, 2023 (10:54 pm)

    It’s a great idea but too late, at least for one tree. It’s a miracle the tree didn’t fall on a car or cars on 35th. Someone commented on the other story about the tree not being healthy with ivy all over it. Plenty of time to deal with signs  about what is inevitable. People have been killed or seriously injured in Seattle and metro Seattle recently. Someone died today in fact in Fall City from a tree falling on her car.  I’ll never understand reactive government approach especially when there have so many trees and telephone poles falling around here in recent memory.

    • WS Res January 10, 2023 (11:49 am)

      “Why doesn’t government anticipate and prevent accidents,” you ask?  Well, if you want that kind of service from your government, you have to pay for it.  Spoiler: we do not currently pay for that level of service.  See also: infrastructure maintenance.  The “government is bad;” “drown it in a bathtub;” “the nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the Government, and I’m here to help” folks convinced those with voting power in the 70s and 80s that taxes = theft, public services = socialism, and now we are living with the results.  See also: homelessness, mental health services, public hospitals bought by for-profit corporations and Catholic conglomerates, etc. etc.  

      • Sparky January 11, 2023 (4:00 pm)

        A lot to unpack there, but what is your metric that suggests we do not pay for that kind of service from out government?  This website pegs Seattle as the fourth-highest city in city spending per citizen:
            https://ballotpedia.org/Analysis_of_spending_in_America%27s_largest_cities
        Seems like we are paying for it but not getting the service. I recently spent some time in Boston, and their city was pristine compared to ours.  Clean streets, no obviously homeless folks wandering around, no drugged out zombies with their lighters and little pieces of foil at the bus stops, clean functional subways, etc.  How is that very blue city taking care of business while we flail away with a higher per-capita burn rate?  

  • Irene January 10, 2023 (12:18 am)

    A tree fell in my place today from Lincoln park. I’ve requested maintenance multiple times over the past year. 

    • Scubafrog January 10, 2023 (10:36 am)

      I’m so glad you, nor anyone else was injured, Irene.  How frustrating that no one has answered your request re the tree.

  • Sparky January 10, 2023 (4:12 am)

    I remember a very large tree at Hamilton Viewpoint that had three distinct section.  One fell and the Parks Dept. came and cleaned up the fallen section but inexplicably left the other two.  My wife and I marveled that they didn’t take down the remainder of what was obviously a danger tree.  A short while later, a second section came down along with a repeat performance.  They cleared the downed section and left what was now a precariously out of balance and deteriorating tree.  And sure enough that section came down on its own a short while later. Will they make a decent assessment this time?  Who knows, but I’ll cross the street if I need to walk past those trees in the future!

  • Estabon January 10, 2023 (7:14 am)

    I believe the last time they were inspected was the last time a tree came down. Also blocking the road and taking out power lines. Sounds like they only inspect after the fact and not as a preventative measure. Which is typical for City of Seattle. 

  • Lucy January 10, 2023 (8:03 am)

    Speaking of ivy engrossed trees, take a look at all the ones on the westside of SR509 just as you’re going up southbound and also the ravine on Olson Place. Those will come down any day hopefully not on top of anyone!As for Power poles I called for one out front of our home and SCL immediately sent out an independent inspector they said the portion under ground looked OK and pole itself was still sturdy, then a couple days later an SCL person came out looked at it and said he was going to write a work order to replace pole. Pic shows cracks which go all the way to ground and at widest point they’re about 2  inches wide. So if you’re concerned called them SCL they will come out.

    • Amy Luu January 10, 2023 (7:41 pm)

      The West Seattle power grid is in bad shape. The combination of age and reactive maintenance makes me worry. When you seriously think about how old and fragile the poles, transformers and lines are you realize that we are one serious storm away from no power and no WIFI.  How many days will it take before the chaos and anarchy start? We need to fix the infrastructure of our power grid before it is too late!

  • anonyme January 10, 2023 (8:42 am)

    Neighbor makes a good point.  The only people who should be making an assessment of tree safety are certified arborists trained in making such a determination – not just some random Parks or SDOT employee.  The root systems on these trees could well be compromised due to the near-vertical drop on one side, and solid concrete on the other.  The recent work on that section of the street, including excavation and heavy machinery, could well have caused root damage.  A lot of people don’t realize that the majority of tree roots are in the top 12 inches of soil.

  • taxes January 11, 2023 (9:07 am)

    It sure seems like our taxes are high enough to take care of all this a little better.  Where does it all go?  (rhetorical…)  I guess I should look at city budgets, etc…  It would probably be depressing.  

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