Letter to the Editor: Urge the City to retain trees at the 198th Project site

To the Editor:

The City of Shoreline, King County and Catholic Housing Services are in a partnership to build an affordable housing project on three land parcels at 19806 Aurora Ave N, 19804 Aurora Ave N and 1116 N 198th St. The City owns the land and is entering a 99 year ground lease with Catholic Housing Services. A 100-unit apartment complex with supportive services will be constructed on these land parcels. The combined properties have two zoning codes, MB (mixed business) and R-48. 

There are 14 significant trees on the combined properties. All the trees, but two, are permitted to be removed. Four groups (1) Friends of Echo Lake, (2) Echo Lake Waterfront Condominium residents, (3) Echo Lake residents, and (4) Save Shoreline Trees are trying to prevent the potential loss of these tall mature conifers and native trees by submitting written comments to Applicant’s filed responses to its SEPA checklist, citing misinformation or incompleteness. 

All the groups are urging the City to take an active role in the development of this Project to retain more of the trees because of their role in fighting climate change, heat island effects and the potential loss of habitat for resident aquatic wildlife and birds. Public comments can be emailed to the City project manager, Elise Keim (elise.keim@shorelinewa.gov) or for more information, email Ann Michel of Friends of Echo Lake.

Susanne Tsoming
Shoreline