News Roundup – Tree retention plan moves on/Rotary hosts Randy Ravelle/Mesogeo to offer plant aid/Island holds ferry meeting/Docks plan back to council

Published 5:00 am Wednesday, September 6, 2006

Tree retention plan moves on

Following continued disputes over island tree cutting, the city is asking for public input as it begins work on a new tree ordinance.

“We really want the public to come and comment,” said city planner Marja Preston. “We want to see what’s bothering people.”

The city will host an open house at 7 p.m. Sept. 12 at City Hall to discuss the new ordinance, which will include both new restrictions and revisions to the current ones.

Preston said the city wants to create incentive options for the preservation of trees as well a plan for street trees.

The ordinance should be finished by next May.

Tree-clearing disputes have cropped up in several places this year, including at the Suyematsu Farm and, most recently, at a Ferncliff Avenue development.

Clearing restrictions already exist in the city’s vegetation management, critical areas and landscape ordinances, but are site specific.

The new ordinance will consolidate those restrictions and make them more clear.

Fines for violating the new rules would likely be based on the value of the trees.

The Community Forestry Commission has been working with tree experts and researching tree ordinances in other cities to give it ideas.

“We’ve spoken with a lot of people who are knowledgeable about how to do this,” Preston said. “We’d like to have the tools to protect more trees.”

– Chad Schuster

Rotary hosts Randy Ravelle

Former King County executive Randy Revelle will share his personal experience with bipolar disorder at the dinner meeting of the Bainbridge Island Rotary Club Sept. 11 at Wing Point country club.

Revelle’s presentation, “Over­coming the Stigma: A Personal Story of Recovery From Mental Illness,” is inspiring and often humorous, Rotarians say.

The community is welcome to attend free of charge. Guests who wish to enjoy the dinner will pay $12 at the door. The meeting starts at 6 p.m. For information call Craig Jarvis at 855-4440.

Mesogeo to offer plant aid

Looking ahead to winter, Mesogeo Greenhouse owners Terri Stanley and Terry Moyemont will host free presentations on helping Mediterranean plants thrive.

Stanley and Moyemont will share gardening tips for Mediterranean and tropical plants from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 7 at the Northwest Design Center, at the corner of Highway 305 and Hostmark, in Poulsbo.

They will host “Fall Planting for Mediterranean Plants,” a series of Saturday seminars, from 10 to 11 a.m. Sept. 9, 16, 23 and 30 at their greenhouse, located at 12364 Miller Road.

Topics include soil improvment, balancing soil PH, winter mulching and related issues to assure maximum winter root growth for plants from all five Mediterranean climate zones. Jerry Erickson, the inventor of Soil Soup, will discuss the use of products in preparing garden beds for winter.

These dates also are open house days at Mesogeo. Anyone attending a seminar will receive a 10 percent discount on plant purchases.

See www.mesogeogreenhouse.com or call 855-9017.

Island holds ferry meeting

The fifth meeting of the Bainbridge Island Ferry Terminal Community Advisory Group will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 11 at the Commons.

The CAG will review and comment on designs for the ferry terminal and discuss the fall public workshop.

Meetings are open to the public. Previous meeting materials and summaries are available at www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/ferries/bainbridgeterminalMPU.

Docks plan back to council

The City Council will hear a presentation by city staff on changes to rules governing new docks on Blakely Harbor this evening.

The 6 p.m. presentation will summarize public comments on the issue and will outline policy alternatives currently under public and council consideration.

The council in July had authorized the payment of $250,000 to settle nearly a dozen lawsuits filed by Blakely Harbor property owners over a now-defunct moratorium on dock construction. Numerous island residents oppose allowing docks in the harbor, one of the few of its size in Puget Sound without over-water structures.