The months-long battle over three towering Eastmoreland sequoias might be rounding a final, sawdust-sprinkled bend.

Neighbors and fans of the majestic trees have plead with Portland developer Vic Remmers, owner of Everett Custom Homes, to leave the sequoias up. Remmers has said ‘no dice,’ arguing the trees need to go if he’s gonna get MAXIMUM CASH for his investment. He offered to sell the land to neighbors at a handsome profit, but they’ve been unable to pony up the requisite $900,000.

The issue’s been in and out of the headlines since this summer, but now it may be the end for the trees. After demonstrators turned away work crews hoping to fell the sequoias earlier this week, Remmers has gone full-on, kids-movie-style evil developer, showing up with cops to press his right to cut down ancient trees.

Neighbors report police have already made arrests, but they’ve also got to figure out how to get an unclear number of activists down from those regal boughs. (Climbing harnesses are the new Guy Fawkes mask of Portland protest. People should wear them on marches, carrying ropes, just to keep the authorities on their toes.)

And now the Eastmoreland Neighborhood Association is reporting Mayor Charlie Hales has asked Remmers to hold off cutting the sequoias. The mayor’s office hasn’t made that statement public, if it’s true, but this whole fight—along with a similar one near SE Clinton—has prompted elected officials to acknowledge the city’s new tree code makes it too easy to get rid of old trees.

The mayor’s an Eastmoreland resident. He’s also the police commissioner, meaning cops might not be on scene for much longer.

Anyway, Shelby’s headed down to moneyed Eastmoreland to report from the scene. Stay tuned.

Update, 1:14 pm: The trees are apparently safe for now. After being cagey with the media all morning, the mayor’s office just issued a release saying the sequoias will be left alive while the neighborhood and Remmers continue to work out a deal. Here’s the mayor’s office’s version of events.

On Thursday, Sept. 17, the mayor’s chief of staff, Josh Alpert, contacted both sides and asked for three things:
● All protesters off private property.
● A stay on cutting down the trees,
● And time for the mayor’s office to organize last-minute diplomacy.

Alpert spoke to both sides throughout the morning.

As of 1 p.m. today:
● There is a tentative structure of a deal.
● The trees are staying for now.
● It is up to the neighbors to implement the deal.

The parties are not releasing details of the negotiations until they are complete. We hope to hear back from both sides by tomorrow.

Unclear what’s happening with the young man who was in the tree.

I'm a news reporter for the Mercury. I've spent a lot of the last decade in journalism — covering tragedy and chicanery in the hills of southwest Missouri, politics in Washington, D.C., and other matters...

11 replies on “Cops Showed Up To Help Remove Those Eastmoreland Sequoias, But Now the Mayor’s Stepped In?”

  3. Melogna: “Planted back in the Civil War era”, according to the campaign.

    My question is why the hell aren’t they protected under the Endangered Species Act?

  5. The party who sold the property should also bear part of the cost of keeping the trees. Obvs the developer paid value for the land (and maybe the lumber). I wouldn’t mind pitching in something as a taxpayer. These kinds of problems don’t just solve themselves we need policies that address the competing interests and some plan for who should have to pay what.

  6. Guess it would be cool to have a backyard that’s shrouded in regal, majestic darkness. Or the city could just buy the lots and establish “Three Sequoias Planted In A Straight Line Long Ago City Park.”

  7. Yeah, I’m usually on the side of more development, but I just can’t wrap my head around this. It just seems cartoonishly evil. And I can’t see how cutting them down even makes financial sense, even if you were a cartoon villain.

  8. What a joke this has turned into.
    That the Mayors Office has felt the need to get involved is beyond reason.
    C’mon folks, we live in a city that is grappling with an expanding population and a Urban Growth Boundary.
    Charlie, shit like this makes me think more about Ted.

  9. HANG ON FOLKS I GOT A RUMOR: Matt Stone of South Park put up the remainder to outbid the developer.

    Source: My Girlfriend over text message. So, you know JOURNALISM IT FOR US.

  10. So, while the deal between Remmers of Everett Homes (the evil developer) and the neighbors (who include friends of Matt Stone) was being negotiated, the city sent somewhere between 32 and 50 policemen, including the CERT team, to protect Remmer’s land from one tree-sitter, some middle-aged East Moreland neighbors, a few Reedies, some KBOO staff. and a whole bunch of little kids with Lorax signs. It was kind of sickening to have 3 or 4 dozen armed goons there. And I couldn’t help but wonder what the city was paying out in cop wages.

  11. The Mayor’s office didn’t get involved, a dude who lives a few streets away named Charlie Hales (allegedly) got involved… because he lives there.

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