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The city of Portland said Tuesday it would waive all fees for retroactive tree removal permits for homeowners whose homes were damaged by falling trees during this month’s winter storm.
The city’s parks commissioner, Dan Ryan, made the announcement on Tuesday afternoon following scores of stories by local media about Portland families whose homes were damaged by trees during the winter storm.
As WW first reported, one such family in the Southwest Hills, the Bonds, had their home crushed by a Douglas fir they had applied unsuccessfully to remove before the storm. They were then instructed by city officials to apply for a retroactive removal permit for the tree, as well as a removal permit for a second Douglas fir they decided to chop down prior to receiving city approval, fearing that tree would also come down on their home. Application fees are typically $100.
According to city policy, if a homeowner hires an arborist to chop down a tree prior to obtaining permission from the city, the homeowner must then apply for a retroactive removal permit. That’s the permit city officials told the Bond family they’d have to apply for—even though the tree had fallen because of the storm, not because the Bonds had axed it themselves.
If a retroactive removal permit is denied by the city, the homeowner can face steep fines—up to $1,000 a day.
The waiver announced by Ryan today applies only to removal applications submitted for trees that were damaged during this month’s storm, not unharmed trees being removed by homeowners who fear they’ll snap in the next severe weather event.