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Ingraham Trees Legal Maneuvers
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The Facilities Department of Seattle Public Schools prepared plans to make an addition to Ingraham high school. The addition would create 12 new permanent classrooms to replace 12 portables and a "temporary" structure. The planned location for the addition, however, required the removal of about half of a grove of trees - technically a forest - on the high school's property.
As news of the District's plans became known to the public, people came forward to oppose it - primarily to save the 63 trees and the benefits they provide. The opponents of the District's plan proposed alternative sites for the addition which did not require chopping down the trees. The District, in response, increased their plans for planting trees and bushes on the property to mitigate the loss of canopy and vegetation. The two sides, however, could not come to a mutually acceptable compromise. It is unclear how much either side was interested in compromise or willing to compromise.
The dispute has moved around a variety of legal venues, land use hearings, SEPA hearings, and it was scheduled to go to another hearing on August 25 when the School District tried to pull a fast one.
When the District originally submitted their requests for construction permits the tree removal was included on the application. This brought the tree removal under the regulatory authority of the permitting process. After a August 12 executive session of the Board - a non-public meeting - the District withdrew their permit applications and contracted for the removal of the trees on Friday, August 15. If there is no construction permit pending, there is no regulatory authority governing tree cutting. The District's plan was to cut down the trees before the scheduled legal proceeding at which it would be decided if they would be allowed to cut down the trees. After cutting down the trees, the District would re-instate their construction permit application without the tree cutting element. This was a clear attempt to evade and subvert legal procedures that control the District's activities.
It didn't work. The group of citizens working to save the trees got a temporary restraining order prohibiting the District from cutting down the trees prior to the hearing.
It is reprehensible for a local government entity, such as the School District, to attempt to short-circuit the legal process.
It is unconscionable for the elected representatives of the public, the School Board Directors, to work against the community in this way.
While a lot of attention has been paid to the role of the Facilities Department or the District's Legal Counsel in this shameful action, let there be no mistake. The Board gave this maneuver either their tacit or their active approval at their "Executive Session" meeting on August 12. The Board needs to be held accountable by the public for their role in this disgrace.
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