Neighbor concerned ravine is in critical area

Part of the slope of the ravine used to have underbrush and trees covering the dirt, according to neighbors. What used to be a slope into a ravine covered in underbrush and trees has been reduced to dirt.

That is what Carol Ronken, of Stanwood, alleges happened in part of a ravine that runs through the back of her property and her neighbors.

On June 29, Ronken filed a code compliance complaint, alleging that Robert McComas had filled and graded his property without a permit.

"My neighbor on the north side of the ravine has cut every evergreen on his property and dumped many loads of fill to extend his yard," Ronken said in a July 17 letter to the city.

McComas brought dump truck loads of dirt onto his property and filled part of the ravine, Ronken said.

The ravine is about 1,000 feet long and runs between property on 272nd and 274th streets NW in Stanwood.

Each property owner owns to the middle of the ravine, Ronken said.

Both the city code enforcement officer and the public works director have examined the site, said Rebecca Lind, city of Stanwood community and development director.

The city has sent a letter to McComas, letting him know about the complaint and notifying him of the need for a grading permit, Lind said.

In its initial investigation, the city has found a grading permit was needed since the work was being done within two feet of the property line, she said. The city is continuing to investigate other issues raised by neighbors, including drainage issues.

McComas, of Stanwood, said he views the complaint as a hassle.

Six years ago, McComas said he removed some trees and added topsoil to his property before planting grass seed. However, the grass grew poorly, and he had to take it out.

He's waiting until the end of summer to plant grass seed again.

Although he leveled his yard, McComas said he didn't fill the ravine.

When he did the work on his property six years ago, McComas said he asked about a permit, and was told by the city that he didn't need one. In addition, he was told he could fillhis portion of the ravine.

"Why should I be penalized now?" McComas said.

Ronken also said Mc- Comas had cut down trees three years ago that one of his neighbors believed to be hers. When McComas' home was built in the 1960s, the woman gave the original owner, Loren Stubb, an easement so he could build a driveway.

McComas said he had his property surveyed, and any trees he did cut were within his property.

With the change, Ronken said she has lost two of her trees, and the light has changed. She used to not see her neighbors from her backyard, but now she can.

The ravine has been eroding since McComas took out the underbrush and trees, Ronken said. English ivy, an invasive weed, has overtaken the gully.

In a July 23 letter to Mayor Dianne White, Elizabeth Niemi, of Stanwood, said she fears with the undergrowth removed from the ravine, a slide could fill the gully and encroach on her property as well as damage the drainage pipes.

"I am asking that you protect this ravine, a critical area for the city of Stanwood, from further encroachment," she wrote.

Mike Rustay, of Stanwood, said when he bought his home, the trees in the ravine, which screen the home, were part of what attracted him.

"I've been trying hard to take care of it," he said.

He has been removing English ivy, which makes trees more susceptible to wind.

Rustay's home was built a few years ago, and at the time, the area was not considered a critical area, he said.

The city's code concerning grading and critical areas seems to have a lot of wiggle room, Rustay said.

The city needs to investigate the ravine to see if it is a critical area, Rustay said. It has a potentially eroding slope, and at one time, a stream ran through it.

No one is exactly sure what is down there, he said. There is a concrete pipe, but Rustay said he hasn't gotten a good answer on where the pipe goes.

Ronken feels the ravine should be protected as a critical area under the Growth Management Act. Some of the plant life indicates it could be a wetland, including cedar trees, horsetail and Western yew, she said.

Most of the homes along the ravine were built in the 1960s, and an apartment building was built in the 1970s, Ronken said. The drainage from those properties enters the ravine.

However, at the time, the city didn't have the same professionals they do now. Ronken feels that the area may not have been mapped.

Some of the trees in the ravine have been there for 100 years, Ronken said. Those trees are important, as they provide a buffer to sound, oxygen, and keep properties cool in the summer and warmer in the winter.

Ronken wants the city to recognize the importance of the ravine and require replanting to replace some of the removed trees.

Staff Reporter Kristi Pihl: 629-8066 ext. 125 or kpihl@scnews.com.