HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 6a. 150 Chorro St. Tree Removal Mitigation
TREE COMMITTEE AGENDA REPORT
DATE: March 27, 2023
TO: TREE COMMITTEE MEMBERS
FROM: Anthony Whipple, City Arborist
(805) 781-7021
Email: awhipple@slocity.org
SUBJECT: 150 CHORRO TREE REMOVAL MITIGATION
The Tree Committee received public correspondence on February 24, 2023, regarding
existing and previous tree removal applications at 150 Chorro Street. During the February
27, 2023 Tree Committee Meeting, the Committee made a determination on the current
application (SR #13321), and staff was asked to follow up on the items below related to
a previously filed application for this location:
1. The owner should be made aware of the limitations on hard pruning, and City staff
should monitor the pine tree over time to ensure the tree is not pruned into bad
health like the previous other trees on the property.
City staff has discussed the Tree Regulations with the property owner, and he is
aware of ISA standards and potential enforcement measures if violat ions occur.
2. Direct City staff to ensure completion of previously established mitigation
measures for the prior violations as directed:
The 12/10/2019 Committee meeting:
https://opengov.slocity.org/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=104257&dbid=0&repo
=CityClerk (see Business Item 11),
The 04/27/2020 Committee meeting:
https://opengov.slocity.org/WebLink/Browse.aspx?id=102067&dbid=0&repo=
CityClerk (scroll to the 3:50 time mark),
And as summarized most recently in the 08/10/2020 Special Committee meeting:
https://opengov.slocity.org/WebLink/Browse.aspx?id=102067&dbid=0&repo=Cit
yClerk (scroll forward to the 1:27:00 time mark).
Meeting Date: 3/27/2023
Item Number: 6a
Time Estimate: 30 minutes
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These public meetings, and prior determinations by the City Arborist, indicate that
mitigation by replacement with a minimum 24-inch box specimen in the back yard
should have been completed by Fall 2020. A request was made for staff to follow -
up at the March Tree Committee meeting.
Staff has reviewed past Tree Committee meetings and the tree removal application
files. The Walnut tree was approved by a former Urban Forester for foundation
damage. Although the former City Arborist told the Tree Committee he would work
with the property owner on the compensatory replanting, the City has no record of
this occurring. It should be noted that the property owner planted five Oak trees
on the property in the same time frame as the removal.
3. Direct City staff to facilitate completion of replacement plantings for the orange tree
that was severely pruned into poor health and ultimately removed, as indicated in
the 10/26/2021 email to me from the City Arborist. I would request a street tree
somewhere on West Street to begin to re-establish the urban forest/canopy.
The Citrus tree in question is not an allowed tree off the City’s master list and was
planted in a prohibited location due to line of sights issues. Because this tree
should have not been planted, staff will not be pursuing a replanting.
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