Ingraham High School - lose the parking, save the trees
The City of Seattle is constantly talking about how it’s a leader in building green, sustainability, and reducing car usage. So…why not set a progressive example at Ingraham High School and build your expansion on the school’s existing parking lot and not in its grove of fir, cedar, and madrona trees?
However, one item mentioned in the article that is of concern is how the neighborhood feels they have been kept out of the planning process by Seattle Public Schools. I would encourage SPS to remember that they have been chartered to operate a school district on behalf of the citizens of Seattle, and if they include these benefactors in their planning, they may just find that they may start receiving lots of support from the neighborhood.
(Image from Seattle Times - the ‘Build here’ overlay is mine)
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Parking is another prob. Seems there’s not enough!!! School is trying a fast one…New signs at entry on North side, show “25 ft+” trees in area where current ones to be removed from…yeah, the school is going to plant 25 ft trees to replace the cut …really funny???? They haven’t even got 25ft trees where they surrounded the ASTRO TURF FIELD those trees were planted to cut the glare from the lights…I think the’re almost 10 ft now…some died, so some are only 7 ft. Talk about a shell game!!! Just keep watching for their next stunt…should be a good one…OH YEAH the article in the times said they are still “engaged” in the process…I think that means they are getting permits…not talking to the neighbors. OH and the new stumps shown in the picture, are to the NORTH of the building site, who knows why they took out those trees….
The Seattle Community Council Federation (seattlefederation.blogspot.com) voted unanimously to support the Save the Trees effort, and it will be discussed at the Haller Lake Community Club, 12579 Densmore Avenue North, 7 p.m. meeting on Thursday, April 3rd.
Actually the best site to build on is either the north side of the school or add a second story to the existing school. The problem is that the Seattle School District picked the site and designed the project without public input and gave the trees no consideration.
They claimed they involved community members but they didn’t Theystatrted their in house design review in August of 2007. The first that neighbors heard of what they were up to, that they were going to cut down 2/3 of the grove of trees on the west side of the school, was about March of this year when the first signs went up.
The first public meeting was held 1 day before public response was due on the Environmental Checklist and most neighbors did not get any public notice of the meeting because the school district mailed some people 30 notices each while others right across from the school never received any notice. Their response to this goof up was to say they will do better next time and ignore the outrage of neighbors.
To get the design changed you can write to the Seattle School Board and communicate your opinion - four of the 7 school members can vote for a project redesign. Their e-mails are at http://www.seattleschools.org/area/board/index.dxml
Seattle has undergone a 50% loss of its tree canopy since 1970, from 40% to 18%. Mass cutting of large trees like what the Seattle School District is proposing at Ingraham High School are a prime reason for the decrease.
Please speak up and help stop the unnecessary loss of large evergreen trees at Ingraham High School. Thanks.
It seems like the School District marches on. Ignoring Environmental concerns, clear cutting Urban Forest, Look at all the new ethical business and environmental practices they can teach the leaders of tomorrow. The School District is the champions for ignorant non-environmentalist. The closer the new tree ordinance for Urban Forest get the faster the School District moves to cut down the trees. Just think they could always go down in history as the last group to cut down a grove of trees before the ordinance takes effect. What a title.
And the way it is being layed out they will be trying to get funding in BEX IV for more dough to keep on building, possibly even an additon on the North side, just like zemke proposes now. Wow, think of the mud on their face when that happens.
School District will go down then.
There is an appeal for the SEPA, where the school district gave the trees a determination of nonsignificance, that is to happen on the 19th. Funny thing, the appealants were not consulted about a time, nor does it seem like they will be consulted about a place.
After all the appeallants need to work real jobs, to pay taxes, the School District doesn’t.
Once again zemke is correct the schools do not know what democracy is. It makes you wonder how do they teach it.
To recap:
School are anti-environmentalist
SEPA Appeal hearing: June 19th?
Trees should be pardoned
[...] has got chutzpah. This week they announced they were withdrawing their application for permits to remove nearly 70 trees from Ingraham High School, and just go ahead with chopping them down next [...]
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