Norkirk, Market and Moss Bay are Kirkland’s oldest streets: a grid laid out above the waterfront, small lots, older houses beside new ones, and big street trees lining the planting strips. Tree work here is mostly about two things: whose tree it is, and how few trees the lot has.
Street trees: the city’s, with your help
The trees between sidewalk and curb are usually city right-of-way trees. The rules:
| You want to… | What’s needed |
|---|---|
| Trim small branches (under 1.5”, under 15% of the canopy) | Nothing |
| Lift the crown, cut bigger limbs, cut roots | Public Tree Pruning or Removal Permit |
| Remove it | Permit; approved only if it’s a hazard or nuisance |
| It threatens your house | You apply and hire the contractor |
| It threatens the street or sidewalk | You apply; the city schedules the work |
Full detail: street and right-of-way trees.
Small lots and the minimum-tree rule
Most lots here are 10,000 sq ft or less: 2 healthy trees per 12 months through the free notification, as long as at least 2 regulated trees remain. On a lot with two big trees, removing either one without a hazard case usually isn’t possible. Planting a replacement first, and letting it grow past 6”, is the slow way around that.
Sidewalks, sewers and foundations
Old trees on old streets mean roots in side sewers and lifted sidewalks. A tree on your lot whose roots are damaging your foundation or sewer, where root pruning can’t fix it, may qualify as a nuisance tree: document it with photos and the plumber’s or contractor’s findings.
Tight-access removals
Houses close together, no side yards and parked cars on both sides make downtown removals slower. Expect sectional rigging into a tiny drop zone, or a crane from the street, with a lane closure planned in advance.
Big street tree over a small lot? We'll sort out whose tree it is first.
(425) 000-0000Common questions
Who owns the big tree in the planting strip on my Norkirk street?
Usually the city: planting strips are generally right-of-way. Check the Trees layer on Kirkland Maps. Pruning beyond minor work, or removal, needs a Public Tree Pruning or Removal Permit.
Can I remove a tree in my small downtown backyard?
If it's a healthy regulated tree and the lot is 10,000 sq ft or less, the free notification allows 2 removals per 12 months, provided at least 2 regulated trees remain. With only one or two trees on the lot, that minimum often decides it.
How do crews remove trees on tight downtown lots?
In small pieces lowered on ropes, or with a crane lifting sections over the house to the street. Sidewalk or lane closures for a crane may need a city right-of-way use permit.