Edmonds planning staff opened a public hearing Sept. 23 on proposed "minor" tree-code revisions arising from legal issues identified during the Rimmer case, and several residents urged the City Council to pause most changes pending fuller review and coordination with the city's urban forest work.

The proposed draft, staff said, is narrowly focused on legal conformity and includes a newly added definition of "net ecological gain" with a 20-year time period. Brad Shipley of the Planning and Development Department said staff surveyed about a dozen neighboring cities and did not find other municipalities that used a per-square-foot cap like Edmonds' proposed cap of $2 per square foot.

Why it matters: Residents said the changes could weaken protections for large, established trees at a time when the city expects more subdivision and middle-housing development on heavily wooded lots.

Arlene Williams, Edmonds resident, told the council the city risks losing large trees as lots are subdivided under the middle-housing code and said the draft's changes "head in the opposite direction" of canopy protection. "Trees are worth fighting for," Williams said, adding that replacement plantings and the proposed fee-in-lieu cap offer little protection for large trees.

Anne Christensen, Edmonds resident, described the package as more than "minor revisions," saying some changes will have long-term effects and urging the council to use volunteer expertise and certified arborists rather than relying solely on outside legal drafting. "Please pause all changes except those absolutely legally necessary," Christensen said.

Georgina Armstrong, Edmonds resident, asked why code amendments that could affect landmark-tree protections were being advanced before the city hires an urban-forest planner. Armstrong noted the interim ordinance work plan intended to coordinate landmark-tree code changes beginning in June and referenced the city's prior plans, including the 2019 Urban Forest Management Plan, the 2023 Climate Action Plan update, and the 2024 comprehensive plan update. Armstrong also said the Planning Board was unable to make a recommendation on subsection 23.10.08 F because it lacked sufficient information.

Staff clarified some technical points: the draft raises the fee-in-lieu level discussed earlier (the packet references a change from $1,000 to $2,500) and retains a $2-per-square-foot maximum cap on tree removal; after that cap is reached, staff warned, multiple trees could still be removed under the formula in the draft. Brad Shipley said calculating appraisals for large trees is a more detailed task that staff expects to address as the broader code update continues.

No formal council action was taken at the hearing; the council closed the public hearing after in-person and remote opportunities for testimony.

Ending: Council members will consider next steps as part of the planning code update process. Residents urged the council to slow further changes until staff completes work directed by the interim ordinance and the city's planned urban-forest planner is on board.