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Uploaded: Tuesday, November 20, 2012, 4:58 PM
Redwood tree removal permit withdrawn
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by Sue Dremann
Palo Alto Weekly Staff
The owner of the CitiBank building on the corner of California Avenue and El Camino Real has withdrawn his permit to have two mature redwoods cut down, Mike Sartor, City of Palo Alto public works director, said Tuesday.
The two stately, 2.5-foot-diameter trees are located near the parking lot behind Citibank, which sits on the south corner of El Camino Real and California Avenue. Notices appeared on Nov. 14 informing the public that the trees were scheduled to be taken down by the Public Works Department no sooner than Nov. 28.
The city issued the removal permit after learning that conditions met the Palo Alto tree ordinance. The trees and their roots had caused cracks in the building foundation and walls, had broken a water line, were lifting the public sidewalk, and were likely to make things worse as the trees continued to grow, city officials noted in a Nov. 15 press release.
The trees were to be replaced as part of an overall landscaping and parking reconfiguration for the site, city officials said.
A residents' group, Friends of California Avenue, sent a protest letter by email to city officials, which kicked into gear a requirement for the property owner to hold public-outreach meetings. The issue could have been heard before the City Council, Sartor said.
On Monday, Nov. 19, city officials met with the property owner and an engineer, Sartor said. After exploring their options, the owner indicated that a water line that was damaged by the trees' roots would be relocated, and a gas-service line would also be moved with assistance from the city, he said.
The owner will still need to get a street-work permit from the building department, he said.
Tree removal is a sensitive issue along California Avenue since more than 50 mature street trees were cut down in September 2009 in the retail district, with little warning to businesses and residents. Even though new trees were planned as replacements, public outrage ensued at the trees' sudden disappearance. City leaders vowed to institute policies that would prevent a repeat incident.
City officials rescinded the permit on Nov. 15 to allow staff to explore safety issues and alternatives to tree removal.Are you receiving Express, our free daily e-mail edition? See a sample and sign-up for Express.
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Posted by Fred Balin, a resident of the College Terrace neighborhood, on Nov 20, 2012 at 9:53 pm Hot dog!!
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Posted by Wondering?, a resident of the Duveneck/St. Francis neighborhood, on Nov 20, 2012 at 10:41 pm Seems like tree removal wasn't really the only safe choice. With the simple option of relocating the water and gas pipes, why did the City issue a tree removal permit in the first place?
Good work Mr. Balin. Thank you!
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Posted by paloaltotreewatch, a resident of the Palo Alto Orchards neighborhood, on Nov 20, 2012 at 10:53 pm who in the city originally approved the removal in the city?
Dave Dockter?
He is on record as saying his mission to is to protect Oaks.
It would be great if he had the same passion for other classes of trees - say Redwoods for instance.
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Posted by Alphonso, a resident of Los Altos Hills, on Nov 21, 2012 at 7:33 am Those trees are too close together (one has to go), they are cracking the walls of the building and the roots will be damaged by the weight of cars in the parking lot. It is great to save the trees but the costs of maintaining the trees and building will continue to mount. Perhaps the Friends of California Ave should put up a bond of $50K- $100K to cover the eventual damage and the inevitable removal at some point in the future.
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Posted by treehugger, a resident of the Southgate neighborhood, on Nov 21, 2012 at 2:03 pm If the trees had gotten sufficient water in the first place, the roots would not have risen to look for water. They would have grown deep in the earth with a good soak once a week. It is sad, but they are not in a healthy place for redwood trees.
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Posted by Retired Teacher, a resident of the Duveneck/St. Francis neighborhood, on Nov 21, 2012 at 2:32 pm Hello there, Cut it down--Well, doggone, if there wasn't a way to save the two beautiful redwoods after all! Seems like the approval of the removal permit wasn't all that thoroughly researched after all.
I'm glad Mr. Balin and his group got the city to take a second look. Kudos to them and to the city manager for being thorough and careful.
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Posted by cut it down, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Nov 21, 2012 at 5:03 pm [Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.] Read the story, the building owner withdrew the permit. We will have to see if the solution is viable.
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Posted by Alphonso, a resident of Los Altos Hills, on Nov 21, 2012 at 8:32 pm Treehuggger
[Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.] Redwood roots only go down 6-7 feet, regardless of water. The roots also spread up to 100 feet, making the tree a problem if planted near a foundation - these trees are 3-4 feet from the building.
A better solution would be to plant some Redwoods in a more suitable location.
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