97-100091CITY HALL
33530 1st Way South
PO Box 9718
Mr. Dennis Alfredson
Schneider Homes, Inc.
6510 Southcenter Blvd., Suite 1
Tukwila, WA 98188
Re: File UPR97-0003/97-100091-00-UP
(253)661-4000
Federal Way, WA 98063-9718
March 7, 2002
F LE
Heritage Woods, Division II, Tracts Hand} Landscaping
Dear Mr. Alfredson:
In response to your January 23, 2002, e-mail requesting release of the assurance bond on fill-slope
landscaping below lots 60 to 66 at Heritage Woods, Division II. Community Development Services
staff conducted a visual inspection of the site on February 13, 2002. Based on our findings, we
cannot authorize release of the bond at this time.
The site in question consists an irregularly shaped, SO-percent east-facing slope approximately 480
feet wide and 90 feet tall at its widest and tallest dimensions. The slope lies parallel to and east of
25th Place South, Federal Way.
Groundcover on the fill slope consists exclusively of hydro-seeded grasses. There is no shrub layer.
Among the trees and shrubs, Red Alder appears to have dominated; however, at the time of our
visit, most of the alder had been cut, as had some sizeable areas of mature Scotch Broom that
dominated along the upper slope. The remaining over-story consists of replanted fir, hemlock,
maple, cedar, and spruce. At the time of our February 13 inspection, the fill slope hosted
approximately 61 percent of the over-story plants identified in the As-Built Drawing of Vegetation on the
Slope of Lots 60 to 66 for Heritage Woods (Nov. 22, 1999). Table 1 compares the count of tree species
as depicted in the as-built with the count at the time of our inspection. Figure 1 shows vegetation
type and density characteristic of the fill-slope in question. '
Species Tree Count Trees growing as a
As depicted in as-built of 11/22/99 Growing on 02/13/02 percent of trees planned
Maple 129 38
Cedar 40 37
Spruce 28 12
Fir/Hem 27 49
Total 224 136 60.7%
Table 1 -The tree count and species distribution specified in the As-Built Drawing of Vegetation on the slope of lots 60 to 66 of Heritage Woods (Nov. 22, 1999), compared to the approximate tree count and species
distribution observed on Feb. 13, 2002.