August 20, 2001. Lakewood had been a City for five years, and its mayor was Bill Harrison, its deputy mayor Claudia Thomas. Another member of the city council was Doug Richardson, who would himself become mayor.
August 20 was a Monday, and there was a meeting of the City Council. After the usual preliminaries, there were public comments. Dennis Haugen was there, and
[he] indicated that City officials and staff should not solicit members to serve on City Committees.
This is a reminder that some things don’t change, because in 2022 Dennis is still making comments, by Zoom, from his new home in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Although his recent comments tend to focus on national issues, such as immigration, crime, and drugs, his 2001 remark is still relevant.
We then had a comment from Judy Galbraith:
[who] expressed concern about the downgrading of zoning for single-family in the Oakbrook division. She recommended the elimination of daycare centers, health care and group homes zoning in Oakbrook. She expressed concern about sexual molesters moving across daycare facilities.
That’s another thing that doesn’t change – the minute-taking of council meetings leaves something to be desired.
However, what I think Judy Galbraith was complaining about was the proliferation of adult family homes in Oakbrook. And guess what? In 2022 it is still a problem, and arguably Doug Richardson and Claudia Thomas made the problem worse.
Once public comments were over, there was the usual consent agenda, followed by votes on various proposals. One vote was particularly devastating, and the City still lives with its consequences.
Doug Richardson proposed the following:
TO AMEND 18A.50.310 TO ADD THE FOLLOWING: “THE REQUIREMENTS FOR TREE PRESERVATION SHALL BE PROVIDED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS OF EACH INDIVIDUAL ZONING DISTRICT AND THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION, AND ARE APPLICABLE TO ALL ZONING DISTRICTS, EXCEPT FOR LOTS UNDER 17,000 SQUARE FEET IN SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL ZONES”; AND AMEND 18A.50.320. B. 2. A. TO REMOVE THE PHRASE,”. . . EXCEPT FOR LOTS OF 10,000 SQUARE FEET GFS OR LESS IN SIZE IN ANY ZONING DISTRICT.”
This means that if you are on a lot under 17,000 square feet you don’t need permission to remove trees. According to the old rules, prior to August 2001, the lot had to be under 10,000 square feet.
Deputy mayor Claudia Thomas seconded the proposal.
The vote for change was unanimous. This means that the whole City Council is collectively responsible for the environmental damage this change caused, and those who proposed and seconded it are doubly responsibility. Did Claudia Thomas unthinkingly follow Doug Richardson’s lead? Or did she make some effort to consider the consequences?
Following this change, a new group of property owners could cut down as many trees on their property as they wanted, without needing permits. As a result, it can be assumed that a vast number of trees, including precious Garry oaks, were erased from Lakewood’s landscape.
Furthermore, the change encouraged the development of adult family homes. In Oakbrook and other places, it became a common practice for developers of family homes to clear-cut their properties, to maximize the building space.
I saw this happening on a lot close to where I live. The property was over 10,000 square feet, but under 17,000. Prior to 2001, there were limits to what trees could be cut down. But because of Doug Richardson and Claudia Thomas, the owner was able to log 13 Garry oaks, without any need for permits.
Over the last year there has been pressure on the City to not just go back to the 10,000 square feet limit, but to have no limits whatsoever. This would mean that no matter how small the property, there would be some protection for eligible trees. The recent Ad Hoc Tree Committee has supported this amendment.
Hopefully, Lakewood will reverse the tragic change to the code that was instigated in 2001 by Doug Richardson and Claudia Thomas.