As Seattle Is About to Review Its Tree Ordinance, a Private Lot in Columbia City Loses a Grove of Trees

A group of trees — some of which are said to be over 100 years old — on a lot in Columbia City have been razed. The property at 3936 S. Angeline St. was purchased in December 2024 by Albert Clark Real Estate for development of single-family homes. 

Earlier this month, tree advocates who were watching the future of the trees on this site spoke out on the City's tree ordinance, which they say doesn't protect large trees like these from coming down due to new development. They've raised these concerns as Seattle's City Council prepares to vote on amendments to the tree ordinance in September as part of their work with the Seattle Comprehensive Plan.

The developer Albert Clark, with Albert Clark Real Estate, declined multiple requests from the Emerald to comment on the record, But Clark spoke to The Seattle Medium about the property, which he has owned since December, and said City policies had created a "houses versus trees" tension. "You can have a problem with the city of Seattle and their tree ordinance. Deal with that with the city of Seattle or buy the property … it is my property, it is not theirs," he told the Medium in an Aug. 20 story. 

Bryan Stevens, director of media relations and permit coordinator in the City's Department of Construction and Inspections, wrote in an email that the department approved replacement of the Angeline Street trees after analyzing the lot. "For this proposal, four Tier 2 trees will be replaced with five new trees on site and the planting of two additional street trees along the sidewalk," he wrote.

But the prospect of losing the trees on the lot did not sit well with some neighbors, who gathered with tree advocates earlier in August in an attempt to preserve the grove. 

"You can [develop] the housing and not cut down all the trees," neighbor Darryl Smith said. "In some regard, I think it enhances the property. You can see them from all over the neighborhood. It would be awful to lose them."

Tree advocates argue that the City's controversial new tree ordinance serves as a "loophole" for developers to freely cut down trees of any girth. The City Council passed the current ordinance 9–1 in 2023, drawing criticism from local tree advocates who say it gives latitude to housing developers to liberally take down trees.

"A lot of people assume these trees are protected," Tree Action Seattle (TAS) spokesperson Sandy Shettler said. Shettler says developers around the city are "taking out trees that have 5-to-6-foot trunks … big, healthy sequoias … trees that can easily be saved. We've got to change our code."

Shettler says their fight is not with developers themselves, but with the ordinances that have allowed tree removal. Private property owners are restricted from removing trees with more than a foot in diameter unless the land is undergoing development.

The Angeline Street lot isn't the first site where tree advocates have spoken out about protecting trees under threat of development on private property. In 2023, tree advocates rallied for Luma, a tree in north Seattle. More recently, TAS spoke out regarding a group of Douglas firs in Pinehurst that were brought down after the block was sold to a real estate investment firm. The group has also protested the scheduled felling of evergreen trees in downtown South Park for a parking development.

In 2021, researchers classified South Seattle as an "environmental justice priority area," and noted that it had 31% less canopy cover than "advantaged areas," like North Seattle, Queen Anne, and downtown, adding another layer of scrutiny on the health of tree canopy in the South End.

Councilmember Maritza Rivera is sponsoring Amendments 102 and 93 to the current tree ordinances that will require alternative site plans for developers on tree protection areas and modify tree planting requirements. 

On Sept. 12, the City Council will hold a public hearing on amendments to Seattle Municipal Codes, including the tree ordinance. The Council will then meet Sept. 17–19 to consider changes to the Comprehensive Plan.