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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 />