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Mayor LeTourneau commented that he appreciates Capstone Homes and the landowner for their <br />willingness to come forward with a project like this and the process that they have allowed the <br />existing neighborhood to participate in. He welcomed comments from residents. <br />Matt Guck, 14583 Bowers Drive, stated that he is a Forestry Technician and spends time both <br />cutting and planting trees. He stated that a piece of forest like this is very valuable. He stated that <br />he chose his home deliberately to live next to old growth woods. He stated that the wooded area <br />really is a remarkable ecosystem and recognized how valuable it is in an intangible way. He stated <br />that wooded ecosystems are easy to destroy but take a long time to build. He commented that <br />there are so few of these wooded ecosystems left and they are exceedingly rare and should be <br />preserved. He stated that this area has already been manipulated to a significant degree and hoped <br />that the remaining ecosystem could be preserved. He stated that he hopes that the City also places <br />value on that as well. <br />Councilmember Heinrich stated that the Park and Recreation Commission recently reviewed a <br />consideration for a park in the area and asked Mr. Guck's preference on whether he would like the <br />wooded area preserved or whether a park would be preferable. <br />Mr. Guck stated that he supports an active use park in the woods, as it would establish a place for <br />children to connect to nature. He stated that he also recognizes value of non -active use land and <br />the benefits that it provides. He did not believe the entire wood lot should be made accessible. <br />Councilmember Heinrich stated that at the Park and Recreation Commission the question was not <br />asked on whether the tree canopy should be preserved rather than an active use playground. <br />Councilmember Menth referenced a wooded area in San Francisco that is world renowned and <br />stated that Mr. Guck's comments remind him of that. <br />Sam Sjostrom, 14623 Bowers Drive, echoed the comments of Mr. Guck related to the motivation <br />behind moving to this area. He stated that the tree coverage was a motivating factor as it is not <br />common to suburban residential areas. He stated that if some of trees were lost to the east that <br />would be unfortunate. He appreciated the open discussion and bringing the options to the table as <br />he felt that was encouraging. He stated that he would prefer option two. He asked if the data could <br />be shared related to the precedent for Bowers Drive to have a second access. <br />Police Captain Frankfurth stated that they always desire a second access into a neighborhood. He <br />commented that there is a good chance that trees could come down in a storm and if there is only <br />one access, it would take longer for emergency services to access the properties. He also provided <br />input on fire safety and circulation of those vehicles. He stated that police can get through trails <br />while fire trucks are larger and have larger turning radius requirements. <br />Deputy City Administrator Gladhill stated that some complaint data was pulled over the past ten <br />years. <br />Mayor LeTourneau commented that he lives on Bowers Drive and has enjoyed the tree canopy <br />and unique characteristics of the neighborhood. He stated that he always thought that there would <br />City Council / June 23, 2020 <br />Page 16 of 21 <br />