Members of Sustainable Redmond, spoke at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting in regard to the group’s proposed amendments for the City of Redmond’s Comprehensive Plan and zoning code.
“These amendments draw from recent experiences in the implementation of Redmond’s tree-protection regulations, particularly the use of exceptions to those regulations, public notice and engagement of our community and development actions,” said Sustainable Redmond board member Tom Hinman while at the podium. “We also provided recommendations on tree retention and replacement ratios in urban centers, where mature trees are particularly valuable as their numbers decrease.”
Hinman and other members from Sustainable Redmond — which is a grassroots organization with a mission to be a catalyst for moving Redmond’s citizens, businesses and local government toward sustainability — spoke at the meeting to share their point of view on the city’s tree-protection exception policies as city staff presented council with a report on the Planning Commission’s review of the group’s proposal Tuesday night, as well.
Hinman said they contend the commission’s review was incomplete, did not consider the full public record and should be remanded for additional review.
Eric McConaghy from the Redmond’s planning department presented council with the staff report on the tree-protection exception policies. He outlined the amendments proposed by Sustainable Redmond and gathered questions from council members, who will review the topic at a study session meeting on Tuesday.
Staff reports on the central Puget Sound growing transit communities partnership as well as the Downtown Cultural Corridor Master Plan were also given.
Also at Tuesday’s meeting, a number of arts commissioners, human services commissioners, library board members and parks and trails commissioners were reappointed and sworn in for a new term. In addition, the mayor and City Council proclaimed the month of April as National Poetry Month and Child Abuse Prevention Month. Graduates of the City of Redmond’s latest Community Emergency Response Team class were also recognized during Tuesday’s meeting.
