SEATTLE — A video shared on social media captured the tense confrontation that took place on Saturday in a Maple Leaf neighborhood near 90th Street and Fifth Avenue.
Community activists faced off with Legacy Group Capital and Pacific Tree Management. The latter cut off several of the Douglas fir's branches before halting the work.
"We saw two big trucks coming around the corner. One said Pacific Tree Management on the side," Charlie Priester, who lives near the Douglas fir, said. "We said 'Oh gosh, this doesn't look good.'"
Priester began making calls which led to the community activists arriving to halt the work.
"It was all kind of a blur in a sense. It felt like we needed to do something. My wife and I both thought 'Wow, they're really trying to skirt the law.'"
A public notice from the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI) shows approval had been granted to cut down the Douglas fir. However, Ballard Tree Service, the business listed on the notice told KING 5 they're no longer part of the project. Activists say their dropping out of the project is due to public pressure.
Those same activists believe what Legacy Group Capital was doing, allowing Pacific Tree Management to cut down the tree, is illegal. KING 5 has reached out to SDCI to see if they're looking into this matter and if they can provide an update.
"I think this is kind of a bigger story about our flight for climate justice," Kym McDonald, who's also against cutting down the tree, said. "Keeping an urban canopy is extremely important as we fight climate change. It's how we combat our neighborhoods from getting hotter and hotter."
McDonald is part of the group that's fighting to save Luma the Cedar in Seattle's Wedgwood neighborhood. It only made sense that she and others would take up the cause to save the tree now dubbed Doug the fir.
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"It seems like developers are taking advantage of whatever rules there are, or lack of rules, without permits, trying to cut down our majestic trees," she said.
Neither Legacy Group Capital nor Pacific Tree Management have responded to our request for comment at this time.
We've also asked SDCI about a video showing the CEO of Legacy Group Capital, Scott Rerucha, saying they've hired someone who used to be the "top guy at the city who approved all the permits in the City of Seattle for years." The direct quote from the video is below:
“I mean, we have one guy here who was the top guy at the city who approved all the permits in the City of Seattle for years. He was top guy. He’s on our team now and guess what? When we call and try to get stuff in permitting and talk to the people in permitting, this is the guy they used to all work for and so, it’s a big deal. Now, we had to pay this guy because if there’s a tree in the middle of the property, he knows that that tree can come down”
Activists are incensed, believing this shows developers have an unfair advantage when it comes to getting permits to cut down trees in Seattle. We will update this story once we receive a response from SDCI.
On Tuesday at 7PM, a Gratitude Gathering is being held for Doug the Fir.