HomeMy WebLinkAbout12/10/2019 Item Public Comment, Nelson
Wilbanks, Megan
From:Linden L. Nelson <llnelson@calpoly.edu>
Sent:Tuesday, November
To:Advisory Bodies
Subject:TC Communication
Dear Mr. Combs and Members of the SLO Tree Committee,
Concerning my application for removal of two eucalyptus trees from my property at
290 Ramona Drive, I am unable to attend the Tree Committee meeting on December
10 as I will be in the Dominican Republic from December 2 – Dec. 12. Ron Rinell,
arborist and owner of Bunyon Brothers, plans to serve as my agent at the meeting. I
will describe in this letter my reasons for requesting permission to remove the trees.
My primary reason for pursuing removal of the trees is concern about the possibility
that one of the trees could fall during high winds and (1) injure or kill myself or a
neighbor and/or (2) damage surrounding cars or houses. The trees are very tall and
heavy, and it appears that if one were to fall, it could reach my house, my next-door
neighbors’ houses, or cars parked in the street. I believe that I have moral and legal
liability for deaths, injuries, or damage that could occur if one of the trees
fell. Although the probability that one of the trees might blow over in high winds may
be low, the consequences if one of these trees were to fall over would certainly be
catastrophic.
I have consulted with several arborists, and all informed me that while the probability
is low, it is possible that the trees could blow over in a situation of high wind and
when the ground is saturated with water. Both trees are along side of a creek that
usually flows continuously from January to April, and I live in a geographic corridor
where winds are often extreme during winter storms. During the past winter, I
experienced considerable anxiety over my own safely as I listened to the wind roaring
through these trees that are close to my house. I believe that the risks to my safety
and my neighbors’ safety if these trees are allowed to continuing growing higher are
unacceptable.
Of course, if you deny my request to allow me to have the trees removed, I will have
them “lightened up” by removing some of the weight from the trees and by removing
unhealthy branches and most of the new growth. I have been doing this about every
4-7 years since 1973 when I purchased the property. The trees were already very
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large at that time, and they had recently been “topped.” This caused new branches to
grow in horizontal directions, and those branches subsequently fell or were
removed. Since then, I have had the trees trimmed and lightened without cutting the
upward growing branches at the tops of the trees. Now, however, the trees are
extremely tall and still growing upward quickly. I believe that this situation is
unsustainable, and the trees already offer a great amount of area for resistance to wind
and thus for levels of force that could cause a tree to fall over in high wind.
Another reason for favoring removal of the trees is that they are now a roosting area
for a large group of turkey vultures. I have recently counted as many as 24 vultures
roosting at one time, and it is common to see ten or more in the trees in late
afternoon. They leave quite a smelly mess on my driveway and yard, and this might
be a sanitation issue. I enjoy watching the birds, but I think it would be better for all
if they found some trees for roosting in the countryside rather than above my city
yard.
Finally, I find that at age 75 it has become a burden for me to deal with all the debris
(including bark, sticks, branches, flowers and flower “covers,” and seed cases) that
falls from the trees. From November to June is particularly difficult, and picking up
eucalyptus debris during this period requires significant time and effort about every
other day. It has become difficult to remove that debris from my property, as the
green wheeler is not sufficient to contain the amount of debris that must be removed.
I appreciate your attention to my request for a permit to remove the trees, and I hope
you will come to a conclusion that protects the safety of my neighbors and myself.
Sincerely,
Linden L. Nelson
290 Ramona Drive, SLO, 93405
LLNELSON@CALPOLY.EDU
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