TRAFFIC ALERT: Tree blocking Bonair

Thanks for the tips and photos – the one above is from Rebecca. A tree is down across Bonair in Upper Alki, so avoid that area for a while. Rebecca says it’s down near where Bonair meets Massachusetts.

9 Replies to "TRAFFIC ALERT: Tree blocking Bonair"

  • Nearby resident June 2, 2023 (7:26 am)

    This tree has been leaning for months. I pass by it everyday. The City Park folks even planted new shrubs and trees right underneath it a few weeks ago and did absolutely nothing about it. They also trimmed trees nearby to allow houses above to retain their view. You’d think they would have done something? This is just the typical City maintenance program: Just wait for it to fall or break down, and then fix at high cost. 

    • anonyme June 2, 2023 (12:33 pm)

      That’s more than a mere cynical observation, it is city policy.  Repairs, maintenance, and intervention are based almost entirely on citizen reports or complaints.  Maintenance based on inspection or observation by city employees is practically non-existent.  We’ll need another billion-dollar levy to fix that…

  • Kersti Elisabeth Muul June 2, 2023 (9:20 am)

    The city didn’t trim the view, the homeowners contracted Thundering Oaks, who did a horrible job. 

    • Nearby Resident June 2, 2023 (10:17 am)

      You’re right, but trimming occurred on City land, so I assumed the City was aware and agreed to these activities? If they can plan trimming, why can’t they plan maintenance as well? Does paid work take precedence over simple maintenance? Isn’t maintenance paid by our tax dollars?More importantly, does the City even checks what goes on in this trail/ravine. Personally, I would not recommend anyone taking a walk in this park by themselves. 

    • Nearby Resident June 2, 2023 (11:22 am)

      You are right but trimming was done on City land so I assumed they had issued a permit / were aware of the activities.Seems like work paid by individuals take precedence over maintenance work in this City?  Aren’t our tax dollars supposed to go to maintenance?  I’d be interested to know how much the tree removal process will end up costing. 

      • J-arbor June 2, 2023 (12:53 pm)

        Tree topping is banned everywhere in Seattle.  
        Homeowners have no ‘view rights’ in Seattle.
        The areas where the trees are being topped and removed are in Steep Slope and Active Slide Area Environmentally Critical Areas with additional tree protections in the code.  
        The trees are large and on Seattle public property!It is outrageous that the City of Seattle and Seattle Parks allows this illegal process to continue. 
        I filed freedom of information requests with the city to learn about this extra-legal practice.
        Seattle SDCI inspectors are also aware of and  loathe to discuss the obvious tree topping.
        Apparently, a few bluff homeowners have old legal documents allowing them to cut trees (in perpetuity!) that are on the land that the original property owners donated to the city.(I wonder if they had documents allowing them to destroy bald eagles nests, would  the city allow that?)
        With the publicity of Seattle’s failing tree canopy a big issue in passing new tree protections against developers all the while ignoring the majority contributor to canopy loss, the City of Seattle should be exposed for its hypocrisy.
        And the homeowners exercising their unique illegal rights, should be exposed and subjected to public outcry.

        • E June 2, 2023 (11:30 pm)

          I contacted the city a few years back when this first happened and they were mad at first then told me it was grandfathered in. It could create a landslide which would damage property and possibly close the road below completely for years if the whole hill went into the sea, as has happened on Queen Anne and Magnolia due to poor practice in the last few decades.

        • Ferns June 3, 2023 (4:01 pm)

          While tree “topping” is not an ideal practice, tree “trimming” to reduce height and growth can be heathy and increase public safety because trees that get too tall can topple over from being too heavy especially in sandy, winter rain saturated or steep slope soil and during windstorms (when isolated and unprotected by other trees). So, Yes to tree trimming even if aggressive but no to tree topping that cuts off the whole leaf canopy typically for clearing a view – and also looks ugly. There is a huge difference I think and sometimes they get conflated and people assume reducing a tree’s height is “bad”. 

  • Jay June 2, 2023 (9:43 am)

    All of those topped trees are going to fall as well. The city allows it because the impacts aren’t immediate, so everyone can pretend that it’s not actually tree removal. But when a tree is topped it begins to rot from the middle all the way down and has about ten years until the weight of branches can no longer be supported by the remaining living tissue that’s only an inch or so beneath the bark. A topped tree is a dead tree, it’s just a matter of time.

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