Palisade Cottages trees to be replaced

When Northwest Landing was first built, the developer created a group of homes adjacent to community green spaces that also share the underground irrigation system. The ROA continues to provide landscape maintenance for these 67 homes in the Palisade Village as part of the developer’s agreement. The cottages pay an additional assessment for landscape maintenance. Now, however, these properties are close to 30 years old. Many of the trees and shrubs have outgrown the space and some have invasive roots that are damaging the irrigation system. Last year, the ROA Board of Directors and staff hosted two online meetings for cottage owners to discuss a future special assessment to remove trees and replace them with trees that are better suited for the space.

The ROA contracted with Sound Urban Forestry to assess trees and recommend next steps. The company also contracts with the City of DuPont, which requires a permit to remove trees. They are recommending 63 trees to be removed and replaced with less invasive trees. Still to come will be proposals for new trees and timeline. A meeting will be scheduled next month for cottage owners to discuss the project.

A special kind of parade

 A couple of weeks ago, the ROA office got a call from a manager with LeMay-Pierce County Refuse asking if we could let Northwest Landing residents know about a special parade they were planning. The family of a Northwest Landing youngster, who loves garbage and recycle trucks, asked if a truck could stop by their house to cheer the boy who has a rare form of epilepsy.

The company took it a step farther and organized a parade of 13 trucks. Drivers and staff handed out candy to children enroute to the young boy’s home and announced their arrival with horn blasts a block away. KING 5 News was on hand to cover the event.

Dear ROA,

Who is responsible for taking care of the trees, bushes, etc. in the areas around the walking paths and common areas?  City or ROA? The area of concern is behind our house. Our back fence is toward the Edmonds Marsh. There are some tree-like bushes in the space outside our fence that have grown so large that they are pushing our fence over. I would like to cut them down or at least trim them back so they don’t knock my fence down. They are outside my property line. Can I do that?

– Edmond Villager

 Dear Edmond Villager,

We looked up the property behind your house. It’s owned by the city. It likely will be fine to cut back the overgrowth but we don’t have the authority to give you that permission. We did, however, find the parcel number on the Pierce County Assessor’s site, which we emailed to the Public Works Department at the City of DuPont. If you don’t hear from someone, please contact them. More info at DuPont Public Works

Dear ROA,

Some areas along DuPont roads look rough and neglected, especially those on Palisade Blvd. and some on Center Drive from Pioneer Middle School to the warehouse area. Who is responsible for that maintenance? It’s not consistent with ROA requirements for yard/lawn upkeep. I’ve always wondered why University Place median planted areas look so well kept and DuPont’s do not? Reflects poorly on the community, in my opinion.

– Palisade Villager

Dear Palisade Villager,

DuPont Public Works Department is responsible for maintaining streets, sidewalks, and trails. That includes medians and roundabouts. If you note an area that hasn’t been maintained properly, contact them at 253-964-8121. More information on the city website.

Got a question for ROA? Send it to  with ASK ROA in the subject line.

Lawn care in summer

If this is your first summer in Washington, you’ve probably figured out it doesn’t rain much here from June through September. So, how do you keep your landscape healthy? Let’s start with the lawn. You can do what Better Homes & Gardens says: skip the lawn maintenance task of watering and let your grass take a nap during hot, dry weather. Washington State University Extension Service calls it “going dormant.” You should still water deeply about once a month. If you want to keep your lawn green in summer, water at least one inch weekly. That’s roughly 20 minutes 2-3 times a week. Most lawns can go two weeks for mowing; less often if you allow your lawn to go dormant. WSU Extension Service recommends mowing down flowering weeds like clover and dandelions (or hand-weeding) in summer to protect pollinators like honeybees that can be harmed by weed killers. It’s also easier to get rid of perennial weeds in fall. So, wait to fertilize or “weed and feed” until late September or early October.

Even if you let your lawn go dormant, pay attention to the water needs of shrubs and trees. We love our rhododendrons here in the Pacific Northwest, but they can get very stressed in hot, dry weather, especially if there isn’t any mulch or groundcover under them. Give them a long, slow drink of water a couple of times a month in summer.

Pictured here is a field of creeping buttercups, Ranunculus repens, in a city park. It is non-native and invasive. For tips on getting rid of it in your lawn and flower beds: Creeping buttercup information and control – King County

If you have questions or suggestions about plants and plant care, email .