What is it about large trees that turn the mild-mannered, good people of Seattle into bitter hellions hellbent on destroying nature (and one another)?
We all remember John Olerud's battle with his neighbor to cut down a Chinese pine tree. Well just when you thought it was safe to look at the sweeping views of Puget Sound, a red cedar has emerged to become the latest troublemaker in a Seattle suburb.
The 90-foot tall cedar is located on Art & Susan Wright's property in Shoreline, and that's no good for their neighbors, whose views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains were blocked.
The Wright's claimed that the tree was necessary for the area wetland to prevent erosion. Plus, as Susan notes, "Birds don't nest in little Podunk trees. They like the tall trees." However, just like in the Olerud case, an arbiter sided with the view-lovers and the Wrights were forced to trim the cedar down on Monday. They will be planting fourteen smaller trees and shrubs as a way to offset the erosion concerns.
Here's the fun part. The neighborhood association has been fining the Wrights $50 per day since 2009 over the tree issue. Wright claims he's not going to pay anything and the whole thing is now going to a hearing.
The lesson is, as always, never have neighbors.
· Disputed Shoreline tree gets a giant trim [Seattle Times]
· The Bible According to John Olerud: Former Mariners' First Baseman Defines What it Means to be a "Good Neighbor" [Curbed Seattle]