Bothell tree code update: staff reported engagement findings at July 15 study session

What the records say

The July 15, 2026 Planning Commission agenda included a study session on the Tree Retention and Landscaping Code Update Project, with staff noting no action was required ¹. The staff memo says Bothell's tree retention and landscaping code was originally adopted in 1996 and has not had a comprehensive update in many years; the city's first Urban Forest Management Plan, adopted February 10, 2026, identified recommended code updates ¹. Since an April 1, 2026 kickoff study session, staff completed Phase 1 engagement: an internal workshop on May 14, 2026, and public focus groups on June 4, 2026, with 21 participants across two sessions and 50 sign-ups during registration from April 13 through May 18 ¹. Feedback themes included questioning whether the current 20% retention requirement and the 20,000-square-foot exemption threshold are sufficient, moving beyond total DBH as the primary preservation metric, stronger penalties for avoidable tree damage or removal, clearer critical root zone protections, and permit requirements for tree removals not associated with development ¹. Per the memo, feedback will inform an initial draft of proposed code amendments, with a second round of workshops later this summer, additional Planning Commission study sessions this fall, and consideration of adoption by City Council early next year ¹. The packet does not record what was said or decided at the July 15 meeting itself ¹.

• The July 15, 2026 Planning Commission agenda listed a study session on the Tree Retention and Landscaping Code Update Project; the staff memo states no action was required.
• The existing tree retention and landscaping code was adopted in 1996, and the Urban Forest Management Plan adopted February 10, 2026 identified recommended code updates.
• Phase 1 engagement included a May 14 internal workshop and June 4 public focus groups with 21 participants; themes included the sufficiency of the 20% retention requirement, the 20,000-square-foot exemption, and moving beyond total DBH as the preservation metric.
• Per the staff memo, an initial draft of proposed amendments is expected to go through additional workshops this summer, Planning Commission study sessions this fall, and City Council consideration of adoption early next year.

Why it matters

Tree retention rules determine how much existing tree cover must be kept or replaced when land is developed in Bothell, affecting neighborhood canopy and the character of new construction. Residents who commented in the focus groups raised issues that touch everyday property decisions, including the 20,000-square-foot exemption that leaves many single-family lots outside retention requirements and whether removals not tied to development should require a permit ¹. The packet does not establish the meeting's outcome; the memo's stated timeline points to draft code language and further study sessions later in 2026 ¹.

What changed / what's next

• No change was adopted; the record shows a study session update on engagement for the tree code update project, with the memo stating no action was required ¹.
• The packet does not record the July 15 meeting's discussion or outcome. Watch for the second round of workshops later this summer, fall study sessions, and draft code text, per the staff memo's stated timeline ¹.
• The available records do not establish the meeting's outcome.