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PR26-0255 • 2025

Parkside Canopy Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2025

Parkside Canopy Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2025

Housing
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Felder
Last action
2025-07-09
Official status
Withdrawn
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on how the removal of Heritage Trees will impact the local environment or community beyond mentioning mitigation measures such as new tree-lined buffers and parks.

Parkside Canopy Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2025

This resolution declares an emergency to exempt certain Heritage Trees in the Parkside area from removal requirements under existing tree protection laws, allowing for economic development projects.

What This Bill Does

  • Declares that removing specific Heritage Trees in Lots 865-869 of Square 5056 is necessary for a planned economic development project.
  • Exempts the specified trees from permit requirements under the Urban Forest Preservation Act of 2002 and subsequent amendments.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Developers involved with the Parkside mixed-use project
  • Residents of Ward 7 who will benefit from new housing and retail spaces
  • The District's Urban Forest Preservation Program

Terms To Know

Heritage Trees
Trees that are protected under the Urban Forest Preservation Act due to their size or historical significance.
Emergency Declaration
A legal process used to bypass normal legislative procedures in urgent situations, allowing for immediate action.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The resolution was withdrawn and did not become law.
  • It is unclear how the removal of these trees will impact the local environment or community without additional details on mitigation measures.

Bill History

  1. 2025-07-09 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Withdrawn

  2. 2025-07-01 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Retained by the Council

  3. 2025-06-26 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    PR26-0255 Introduced by Councilmember Felder at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Parkside Canopy Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2025

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
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___________________________ 2
Councilmember Wendell Felder 3
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A PROPOSED RESOLUTION 7
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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 10
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To declare the existence of an emergency with respect to the need to amend the Urban Forest 14
Preservation Amendment Act of 2002 to exempt Heritage Trees located in Lots 865, 866, 15
867, 868, and 869 in Square 5056 of the Parkside mixed-use economic development 16
project from Heritage Tree removal requirements 17
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RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 19
resolution may be cited as the “Parkside Canopy Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2025”. 20
Sec. 2. (a). The Urban Forest Preservation Act of 2002 was enacted to establish an urban 21
forest preservation program, to require a Special Tree removal permit and community 22
notification prior to the removal of a replacement tree with a circumference of 55 inches or more, 23
to establish a Tree Fund to be used to plant trees, and to revise penalties for injuring trees on 24
public space and private property. 25
(b) Urban Forest Preservation has subsequently been amended by the Tree Canopy 26
Protection Amendment Act of 2016 to increase the permit fees for Special Tree removal, to 27
increase the fines for unlawful removal of a Special Tree, to protect trees with a circumference of 28
100 inches or more, to expand the permissible uses of the Tree Fund, and to establish the Urban 29
Forestry Advisory Council. 30

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(c) Exempting the removal of the Heritage Trees in Lots 865, 866, 867, 868, and 869 of 31
Square 5056 from permit requirements established by the Urban Forest Preservation Act of 2002 32
is a critical component of the ongoing transit-oriented economic development initiatives within 33
the Parkside community in Ward 7. This project will introduce approximately 209 units of much-34
needed affordable housing and ground floor retail to include a grocery store and was approved 35
through a planned unit development prior to the enactment of the Tree Canopy Protection 36
Amendment Act of 2016. The Parkside development has already created a new tree-lined buffer 37
and community park that includes green space and other community amenities that would offset 38
the loss of these Heritage Trees. 39
Therefore, emergency legislation is needed to support the ongoing economic 40
development initiatives including the construction of new affordable housing units and retail in 41
the Parkside community in Ward 7. 42
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Sec. 3. The Council of the District of Columbia determines that the circumstances in 44
section 2 constitute emergency circumstances making it necessary that the Parkside Canopy 45
Emergency Amendment Act of 2025 be adopted after a single reading. 46
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Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately. 48
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