Plans have been filed to build on four adjacent lots in South Park’s downtown. WIth 26,900 square feet to work with, neighbors hoped the three evergreens sheltering and cooling the community could be included in the plan. Instead, every tree will be removed, and buildings will be spread far apart to the edges of the lot, with concrete paths in between. No large trees will be planted.

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We are asking Seattle’s building department (SDCI) to ensure the future of South Park’s iconic downtown evergreens by making small design adjustments to this plan. 

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About South Park’s Downtown Evergreens

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The Downtown Evergreens are two Doug Firs and one Western White Pine, about 100 years old, healthy, and native to this place. Evergreen tree needles encapsulate airborne pollutants, disarming them before they can be inhaled. South Park has higher air pollution, higher rates of asthma and lung disease, and shorter life expectancy overall than other Seattle neighborhoods.

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South Park has 12% tree canopy compared to Seattle’s average of 28%.  

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But that doesn’t stop SDCI from approving the removal of South Park’s few remaining trees. SDCI even recently fought to keep the discriminatory tree rules unique to frontline communities, which allows many large trees to be replaced with “one small deciduous” ornamental tree.(check out Seattle’s Municipal Code Section 23.44.020)

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Small design changes could save the Downtown Evergreens and build the same number and size of new homes. Zoning for this neighborhood already allows buildings to be clustered together to provide green space and save trees. Mowing down this evergreen forest is a choice, not a necessity.

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Join us in standing up for South Park’s last downtown trees–and against Seattle’s failed tree policies.