Not only is the developer of a Lake City lot demanding $100k to save one tree, his architect admits in a leaked email that the tree could have been saved all along if they wanted to.

What’s going on?

A Douglas Fir and Scarlet Oak grow in an unpaved alley surrounded on three sides by more than 20 apartments whose windows all look onto their branches. These residents include people who are BIPOC, lower income, and recent immigrants. The city has designated this neighborhood as an environmental justice priority area.

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When neighbors heard chainsaws in late December, they ran outside and saw their beloved trees (nicknamed Hermann and Scarlett) being taken down illegally. They called SDCI (reminder: there is a $5,000 fee for removing a tree without a posted notice) and stood under the trees to stop the cutting. Two weeks later, after the developer filed paperwork to legally remove the trees, neighbors once again stepped in, and were even featured on the news.

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Due to media attention, the developer agreed to meet with neighbors, and consider an architect’s suggestion that rotating one structure 90 degrees and removing some parking spaces could easily save Herman the Fir. The developer said he could do this for a $100k payment to cover lost profits.

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In email discussions, he then inadvertently disclosed a conversation with his architect, where they admitted that it had always been possible to retain the tree and build the same amount of housing — but they don’t have to, because the new tree ordinance “facilitates tree removals.” The architect writes “Showing this diagram (of how the trees could be saved) might not be helpful. I suggest instead presenting the approved diagram.” 

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This close-knit community (@virgil_flaim_neighbors) has a history of fighting for their trees. In 2023, they protested the cutting of a massive Atlas cedar on the edge of the Starbucks parking lot on their block. The towering cedar had protected them from Lake City Way pollution and was cut illegally by the parking lot owner. Then, driven by a desire to provide a shared green space for families living in nearby low income housing, they planned and built a community garden walkway project. They were joined by SDOT Director Greg Spotts, who helped them realize their dream of new street trees planted near the lost cedar to eventually screen their homes from Lake City Way’s heavy traffic and pollution.  

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Take it from the Virgil Flaim Neighbors: 

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“Hope and determination live within our community, to stand up for our trees and the environmental justice priority area that we live in. We have leveraged all that we can to save these trees and bring Seattle’s tree crisis to light.”

How to Help

Most people in Seattle enjoy trees, and most people think they’re protected. They couldn’t be more wrong. Please help us spread awareness of what’s really happening — it’s the most powerful way to grow our community’s numbers and voice, and you can help in two specific ways:

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1. Flyer: Print and distribute our coffee shop pamphlet (color or b&w) to 5 people you know in Seattle, or place it in a local shop or venue you love.
2. Join our mailing list: It may seem small, but subscribing to our mailing list helps us grow and reach more like-minded Seattlites. We want to be so big the city can't ignore us. Subscribe to our newsletter, and forward it to like-minded friends who love our climate and trees but don’t know our urban forest is at risk.

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