HomeMy WebLinkAbout8/10/2020 Item 2A & 2B, Cooper
Wilbanks, Megan
From:Allan Cooper <
To:Advisory Bodies; Combs, Ron
Subject:Letters To The Tree Committee
Attachments:808_08_20...letter#1totreecommittee.pdf; 808_08_20...letter#2totreecommittee.pdf
Dear Ron -
Would you kindly forward the two letters attached below to
the Tree Committee? These letters pertain to the
Committee's Monday, August 10, 2020 meeting where
they will be reviewing the proposed removal of 4 trees at
1144 Chorro Street and the proposed removal of 206 trees
at 650 Tank Farm Road. Would you also please place these
letters in the City's correspondence file? Thanks and I hope
you are keeping safe.
- Allan
1
Save Our Downtown
______________________________________________________________________________
Seeking to protect and promote the historical character, design, livability and economic
success of downtown San Luis Obispo.
To: San Luis Obispo Tree Committee and Ron Combs
Re: August 10, 2020: Business Item #1
From: Allan Cooper, Secretary Save Our Downtown
Date: August 8, 2020
Honorable Chair Bate and Committee Members -
We are opposed to the removal of four trees as part of a mixed-use project located at 1144
Chorro Street.
One of these street trees is only slightly lifting the sidewalk (the Flame Tree) but none of the
others are lifting the sidewalk (see the first photo). The applicant is asking to remove 4 trees
where one of these (a palm) is within the Downtown Centre Paseo (see the second photo).
We’re not sure why this palm tree, considering its small size, is being removed. Eight of the 12
replacement trees will be located on the third floor terrace - a terrace that is inaccessible to the
public. As a matter of City policy, rooftop trees should not be considered replacement trees.
Thank you for all that you do!
- Allan
Save Our Downtown
______________________________________________________________________________
Seeking to protect and promote the historical character, design, livability and economic
success of downtown San Luis Obispo.
To: San Luis Obispo Tree Committee, Ron Combs and Rachel Cohen
Re: Business Item #2: August 10, 2020 review of the proposed tree removal of 206
onsite trees and replanting plan of 314 trees as part of a mixed-use project
located at 650 Tank Farm Road
From: Allan Cooper, San Luis Obispo
Date: August 8, 2020
Honorable Chair Bate and Committee Members -
You will be reviewing the removal of 206 onsite trees as part of a mixed-use project located at
650 Tank Farm Road. 169 (or 82%) of the 206 trees have been determined to be either in good
or in moderate condition. I am attaching for your convenience a view of this mature grove of
trees taken from Tank Farm Road. I am also forwarding you via attachment an aerial view of the
site and a site plan of the proposed building project. As you can see by comparing the aerial
view with the site plan, there is hardly any justification for removing this number of trees given
that nearly 2/3rds of the property surrounding the former mobile home park is unencumbered
by trees.
Please allow me to draw your attention to a May 27, 2020 SF Examiner article titled “Green
Space: Stop Taking Trees Down” (to read more click on: https://www.sfexaminer.com/news-
columnists/green-space-stop-taking-trees-down/). This article states the following: “While new
trees were proposed at several of these sites (i.e., building sites within the City of San
Francisco), replacements may not provide the same benefits as the ones removed. For
example, older trees can capture more carbon and divert more water from sewers than
younger trees. Trees that don’t shed their leaves are also better at filtering air pollution, and
may help reduce communities’ vulnerabilities to respiratory diseases, such as the coronavirus”.
The article goes on to state that "… too many trees were simply chopped down because they’re
inconvenient. Lance Carnes, a volunteer with Healthy Trees Initiative, has compiled an archive
of the Department of Public Works’ tree removals since November 2019. Out of 210 removals,
65 were authorized simply to make room for new construction projects, infrastructure
improvements and private driveways.”
You probably know that funding for the City’s Urban Forest Master Plan effort is currently being
deferred due to the economic impacts resulting from COVID-19. However please help us
address the City’s Climate Action Plan for Community Recovery by merely disallowing the
wholesale removal of these trees. These trees are being removed simply because the architect
was unable (or unwilling) to work around them. Thank you!