As Tumwater residents have risen up against plans to remove the city's historic Davis-Meeker oak tree, several have made claims that the city has reasons to cut down the tree other than its poor health that Tumwater Mayor Debbie Sullivan and city staff have cited.
The citizen group Save the Davis-Meeker Garry Oak is calling to save the tree that sits along Old Highway 99. The group says on its website the 400-year-old tree is in the sights of Sullivan, who wants to expand the highway.
"She says she only wants to keep people safe," the group said. "But all arborists except her own have said pruning and cabling are sufficient."
Ron Ranniger, who lives across from the tree, attended a rally at the tree May 25. He said he believes the city of Tumwater and Port of Olympia want to expand the Olympia Regional Airport. But the real reason he thinks the city has for cutting the tree is to expand Old Highway 99 into a four-lane highway.
"It's coming down the road, and they can't do it with that tree," Ranniger said.
During the June 4 Tumwater City Council meeting, arborist Beowulf Brower told the council not to let the Port of Olympia, who owns the Olympia Regional Airport, or anyone else deprive the council members of their ability to represent their constituents.
The Port of Olympia also has put out a Request for Proposals to replace the roof at the adjacent historic Washington State Patrol hangar. Is that also a reason the tree needs to be removed?
The Olympian asked officials with the city of Tumwater and the Port of Olympia to respond to these claims. Mayor Sullivan said a lot of misinformation is being tossed around.
About the airport
City spokesperson Joy Johnston told The Olympian the only reason the city has for considering removal of the tree is because of its health and the danger is poses to passersby.
Johnston said there are no plans to expand the physical footprint of the Olympia Regional Airport.
Warren Hendrickson, director of operations at the Port of Olympia, said the Davis-Meeker tree is located outside the airport's Runway 12-35 Protection Zone and doesn't play a part in any future plans.
"While there have been expressions that there are ulterior motives in play to secretly benefit the airport, nothing could be further from the truth," Hendrickson said. "Whether the tree ultimately remains or is removed will have no bearing on airport operations."
He said the one concern the port does have with the tree is if it were to fall in the direction of the airport, it could severely damage the WSP hangar, which is itself a registered historic structure.
About the highway
There is a plan to expand Old Highway 99, Johnston said, but drafts for the plan retain the roadway's current alignment around the tree, which was fought for and established 40 years ago.
"I can tell you definitively that the removal of the tree is not related to airport expansion or WSP hangar roof replacement," she said. "The only reason the city of Tumwater has considered removing the Davis Meeker oak tree is because an analysis has found significant decay in the main stem and scaffold branches and it therefore poses a risk to lives and structures."
Last fall the city of Tumwater conducted a study and public engagement process for improvements to Old Highway 99, which would include adding lanes as well as roundabouts at intersections. Johnston highlighted that the plan includes a new right-of-way and a median near the Davis-Meeker oak.
The corridor study explicitly states the oak tree would be protected when these improvements move forward.
The mayor clarifies
Sullivan told The Olympian none of the remarks made by the public have anything to do with why the tree might come down. She said it's strictly a public safety issue. More branches have recently fallen from the tree, she said, and it's only a matter of time before a heavy limb takes the life of a motorist.
Sullivan said extension of the highway wouldn't be changed if the tree comes down because some form of memorial would be placed where it once stood.
"We have no plans for doing a memorial somewhere else," Sullivan said. "It's an historic place and will stay an historic place, it just won't have the tree standing there."
She said if the historic tree were anywhere else but next to a road, the city would likely just let it be.
Sullivan said the city is still gathering information for a Request for Qualifications for a third-party independent review of assessments done of the tree. She said the contract will likely be in front of Tumwater City Council on July 2.
"We'll see, we'll get another opinion," Sullivan said. "And I want it to be a very comprehensive opinion."
Port Commission meeting
The question of whether Olympia Regional Airport is going to physically expand also was raised before the five-member Port of Olympia commission on Monday.
"In light of public comment in recent days, there are no planned projects for the expansion of the airport's footprint," said Airport Senior Manager Chris Paolini, who replaced Hendrickson in that role in April.
In fact, one of the runways at the airport — a crosswind runway — needs to be narrowed and shortened, he said.
Paolini mentioned this in the context of a discussion about hiring an aviation engineering services firm. If the commission approves that contract, one of the projects that could emerge from it is the design and reconstruction of the crosswind runway.
Commissioner Bob Iyall asked why a runway would be narrowed and shortened.
Paolini said it is overbuilt for the size of aircraft that use it. He estimated that shortening it would reduce its length to around 3,500 feet, down from 4,500 feet.
The runway is also in disrepair. The asphalt conditions need to be confirmed and the subgrade underneath also needs to be checked, Paolini said.
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