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University Trees May Fall to Sound Transit Axe When Light Rail Station Construction Starts
By Roberta Cruger
Brian Ramey beleives Sound Transit can build a light rail station and preserve a significant portion of the western forested edge of the University of Washington campus, shown here.
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Jul 12, 2000 --
The leafy edge of the University of Washington campus along 15th Avenue Northeast, between Northeast 45th and 43rd Streets, is the future construction site of Sound Transit's Light Rail underground station starting in early 2001. Plans for building the 45th Street Station, one of two in the University District (the other is east of 15th Avenue Northeast beneath Northeast Pacific Street), stirred an outcry among U-District residents when it was discovered that the tree canopy along the 400-foot western stretch of campus would be removed for the extensive construction activity.
Leading the protest against denuding the land on this welcoming corner of the campus is Brian Ramey of the Friends of Brooklyn, a neighborhood group working toward a livable community. "The idea of eliminating an urban forest is counterproductive to our aim," he said. Prior to a meeting on Monday, July 10 among representatives from the City of Seattle, the University, Sound Transit and the community to peruse the green space in question, the Friends of Brooklyn held a press conference at the Malloy Apartments, challenging the proposal to "butcher the landscape" and circulating a petition to save the "mature and much-loved trees."
As a member of the City/University Citizens Advisory Committee, a local watchdog group, Ramey states that the plans to cut the trees were never included on a meeting agenda or discussed with the community. "The city, state and university have no right to cut acreage of trees on public property without notification or alternatives," he said, citing documents, such as Sound Transit's Master Use Permit applications that made no reference to the clearcut.
But it's not a done deal, according to sources in city offices, although it's a tricky deal: the trees are not on city propertyóthe property belongs to the Universityóand the University maintains that the property is not in their jurisdiction now that it is the proposed location of a Sound Transit station.
The light rail station, which will be a prominent presence on the corner of 45th and 15th with two three-story structures housing four elevators, was originally resisted by the University. The University had hoped to put the stations on the western side of 15th Avenue, which merchants and residents campaigned against successfully.
The Department of Design, Construction and Land Use is reviewing the situation and exploring options, according to transportation planner John Shaw. "We have to protect the trees to the extent we can and recognize the impact, noting the potential ramifications," he said. To begin this process, Shaw requested that Seattle Department of Transportation landscape architect, Shane DeWald, take an inventory of the trees.
As an advocate for the public, DeWald seeks nature preservation when possible, ensuring trees aren't expendable. Since developers may prefer to start from scratch, she said, her job is finding the balance between necessity and convenience. She has the task of weighing the public benefit on both sidesóthe value of the trees against the cost of the project to the public--and seeing if a segment can be saved.
Sound Transit's project manager for the U-District stations, Ron Endlich, explained the organization's efforts to minimize truck travel on the streets and address the disruption to residents and businesses, including erection of 16-foot noise walls. He suggested that the construction staging area for tunneling and excavation in the Burke Museum parking lot is already restrictive, and any less space could reduce efficiency and lengthen construction time.
The University's project manager in the Capitol Planning and Facility Management office, Tom Ryan, maintains the light rail site is not a University project, adding that when the school agreed to lease the area to Sound Transit, they insisted on a minimum amount of space, which he feels the construction plans reflect.
Ryan states, "The restoration plans call for landscaping, which will take time to grow, but mass transportation is an investment in our future."
Sound Transit plans to replace the trees and landscaping in the impacted area in cooperation with the University's goals, which include an expansion of the Burke Museum and construction of the new law school adjacent to the light rail station. However, city arborist Nolan Rundquist acknowledges that 100 trees would have to be planted for every single old growth treeóand that's impractical if not impossible. Admitting it's sometimes hard to protect the trees, he notes the significant consequences of tree losses include environmental changes, flooding problems and sociological issues. "The trees," said Rundquist, "make you feel better."
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