Trouble in Talus | Tree removal raises concerns

Its ironic that on Arbor Day, April 25, 12 maple and 10 alder, some of them very large, were cut down in the Talus urban village.

Northwest Landscape Services, working for the Talus Homeowners Association removed 22 trees on the Shangri-La trail in north Talus, before being ordered to stop by the City of Issaquah. The trail was there long before the urban development.

In a memo released Monday, April 28, the city said two types of tree removal were occurring in Talus trees being removed for view preservation and trees being removed for maintenance. When the Homeowners Association proposes tree removal per its rules, the city is not involved. Councilmember Tola Marts said the city has limited jurisdiction in this case, yet the city responded quickly as it was flooded with emails and phone calls over the weekend from concerned Talus homeowners.

Lucy Sloman, land development manager for the city, said she was contacted at home Sunday, April 27.

Were trying to confirm how many trees were being cut, but some are multi-trunked, she said.

Sloman said since it was the weekend she couldnt confirm how many trees were removed, but the city approved 18 or 19.

The tree removal was allowed because the trees were located in unprotected open space on the HOAs property; the citys tree protection rules dont apply in urban villages that are still under construction (Talus will continue with construction until at least 2017); and the HOA consulted with the city before starting the work.

After several revisions and meetings with residents, the HOA recently approved view-protection revisions to their local rules. Based on those rules, the HOA then proceeded to remove the trees, said Dave Kappler, president of the Issaquah Alps Trail Club.

However, Kappler said closer to 50 trees are marked for removal. He said the plan is to plant new, shorter trees, but the classic problem with Talus, he said, is improper irrigation, which doesnt give the new trees a chance. He said the open space the trees are on is not unprotected; the landscaping permit requires a plan to insure survival of new plantings and reassurance that invasive species dont take over, including proof of water supply for irrigation.

Talus Homeowners Association president Barb Leland has served as president since September 2013. She said the HOA does plan to irrigate new plantings by having the landscapers come through and water. Leland said the project was pre-permitted. She said they will replant with 63 trees, including vine maple, cherry trees and flowering dogwood.

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Trouble in Talus | Tree removal raises concerns