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Home My WebLink About12-08-2025 TC Agenda Packet Tree Committee AGENDA Monday, December 8, 2025, 5:30 p.m. Council Hearing Room, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo SPECIAL MEETING OF THE TREE COMMITTEE The Tree Committee holds in-person meetings. Zoom participation will not be supported at this time. Attendees of City Council or Advisory Body meetings are eligible to receive one hour of complimentary parking; restrictions apply, visit Parking for Public Meetings for more details. INSTRUCTIONS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT: Public Comment prior to the meeting (must be received 3 hours in advance of the meeting): Mail - Delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. Address letters to the City Clerk's Office at 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, California, 93401. Email - Submit Public Comments via email to advisorybodies@slocity.org. In the body of your email, please include the date of the meeting and the item number (if applicable). Emails will not be read aloud during the meeting. Voicemail - Call (805) 781-7164 and leave a voicemail. Please state and spell your name, the agenda item number you are calling about, and leave your comment. Verbal comments must be limited to 3 minutes. Voicemails will not be played during the meeting. *All correspondence will be archived and distributed to members, however, submissions received after the deadline may not be processed until the following day. Public Comment during the meeting: Meetings are held in-person. To provide public comment during the meeting, you must be present at the meeting location. Electronic Visual Aid Presentation. To conform with the City's Network Access and Use Policy, Chapter 1.3.8 of the Council Policies & Procedures Manual, members of the public who desire to utilize electronic visual aids to supplement their oral presentation must provide display-ready material to the City Clerk by 12:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting. Contact the City Clerk's Office at cityclerk@slocity.org or (805) 781-7114. Pages 1.CALL TO ORDER Chair Ben Parker will call the Special Meeting of the Tree Committee to order. 2.PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA The public is encouraged to submit comments on any subject within the jurisdiction of the Tree Committee that does not appear on this agenda. Although the Committee will not take action on items presented during the Public Comment Period, the Chair may direct staff to place an item on a future agenda for discussion. 3.CONSENT Matters appearing on the Consent Calendar are expected to be non- controversial and will be acted upon at one time. A member of the public may request the Tree Committee to pull an item for discussion. The public may comment on any and all items on the Consent Agenda within the three-minute time limit. 3.a CONSIDERATION OF MINUTES - SEPTEMBER 22, 2025 TREE COMMITTEE MINUTES 5 Recommendation: To approve the Tree Committee Minutes of September 22, 2025. 4.TREE REMOVAL APPLICATION 4.a REQUEST TO REMOVE 1 CALIFORNIA PALM TREE LOCATED AT 1010 FOOTHILL BOULEVARD (APPLICATION NO. TREE-0657-2025) 9 Recommendation: Review the proposed tree removal application for consistency with the Municipal Code Section 12.24.090(E) and provide a recommendation to the Community Development Director. 5.COMMENT AND DISCUSSION 5.a ARBORIST REPORT Receive a brief update from Urban Forest Program Coordinator / City Arborist Walter Gault. 6.ADJOURNMENT The next Regular Meeting of the Tree Committee meeting is scheduled for January 26, 2026 at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Hearing Room at City Hall, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo. The Regular Meeting of December 22, 2025 will be cancelled due to the Christmas Holiday. LISTENING ASSISTIVE DEVICES are available -- see the Clerk The City of San Luis Obispo wishes to make all of its public meetings accessible to the public. Upon request, this agenda will be made available in appropriate alternative formats to persons with disabilities. Any person with a disability who requires a modification or accommodation in order to participate in a meeting should direct such request to the City Clerk’s Office at (805) 781-7114 at least 48 hours before the meeting, if possible. Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (805) 781-7410. Agenda related writings or documents provided to the Tree Committee are available for public inspection on the City’s website: https://www.slocity.org/government/mayor-and-city-council/agendas-and- minutes. Meeting video recordings can be found on the City’s website: http://opengov.slocity.org/WebLink/Browse.aspx?id=61087&dbid=0&repo=CityCl erk Page 4 of 26 1 Tree Committee Minutes September 22, 2025, 5:30 p.m. Council Hearing Room, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo Tree Committee Members Present: Member Henry Bonifas, Member Dan Shinn, Vice Chair Emily Rosten, Chair Ben Parker, Member Kari Gephart Tree Committee Members Absent: Member Daniel Canella, Member Charles Gerencser City Staff Present: Urban Forest Program Coordinator / City Arborist Walter Gault, Deputy City Clerk Sara Armas, Deputy City Clerk Andrea Colunga-Lopez ____________________________________________________________________ 1. CALL TO ORDER A Regular Meeting of the San Luis Obispo Tree Committee was called to order on September 22 at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Hearing Room at City Hall, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, by Chair Parker. 2. PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA Public Comment: Sharon Roberts --End of Public Comment-- Page 5 of 26 2 3. CONSENT 3.a CONSIDERATION OF MINUTES - AUGUST 25, 2025 TREE COMMITTEE MINUTES Motion By Vice Chair Rosten Second By Member Bonifas To approve the Tree Committee Minutes of August 25, 2025. Ayes (5): Member Bonifas, Member Gephart, Member Shinn, Vice Chair Rosten, and Chair Parker Absent (2): Member Canella and Member Gerencser CARRIED (5 to 0) 4. TREE REMOVAL APPLICATION 4.a REVIEW A TREE REMOVAL APPLICATION TO REMOVE ONE (1) CANARY ISLAND DATE PALM LOCATED AT 2226 BEEBEE ST (APPLICATION: TREE-0689-2025) Urban Forest Program Coordinator / City Arborist Walter Gault presented the staff report and responded to Committee inquiries. Applicant representative, Todd Ventura, provided an overview of the Tree Removal Request and responded to questions raised. Chair Parker opened Public Comment Public Comment: Sharon Roberts --End of Public Comment-- Chair Parker closed Public Comment Page 6 of 26 3 Motion By Vice Chair Rosten Second By Member Shinn Recommend the Community Development Director approve the proposed tree removal application per Municipal Code Section 12.24.090(E) based on the findings below, and further recommend that 24-inch planter boxes be used as part of the replanting plan; if 24-inch is not feasible, a 15- gallon box or other similar alternative be implemented instead. Findings:  12.24.090.G(3) Species: Tree is non-native  12.24.090.G(4) Forestry Best Practice: Removal and replanting plan increases tree-age and biodiversity  12.24.090.G(6) Compensatory Plantings: Landscaping plan exceeds required minimum for replanting (2:1 onsite)  12.24.090.G(7) Heritage Status: Not a heritage tree Ayes (4): Member Bonifas, Member Shinn, Vice Chair Rosten, and Chair Parker Noes (1): Member Gephart Absent (2): Member Canella, and Member Gerencser CARRIED (4 to 1) 4.b REVIEW A TREE REMOVAL APPLICATION TO REMOVE EIGHT (8) SWEETGUMS LOCATED AT 4325 S. HIGUERA ST (APPLICATION: TREE-0722-2025) Urban Forest Program Coordinator / City Arborist Walter Gault presented the staff report and responded to Committee inquiries. Chair Parker opened Public Comment Public Comment: None --End of Public Comment-- Chair Parker closed Public Comment Page 7 of 26 4 Motion By Member Gephart Second By Member Shinn Recommend the project be continued to a hearing date uncertain with a request that the applicant provide a representative at the next hearing to address the proposed replanting plan and the reason trees are requested for removal that are not impacting the public right of way. Ayes (4): Member Shinn, Vice Chair Rosten, Chair Parker, and Member Gephart Noes (1): Member Bonifas Absent (2): Member Canella, and Member Gerencser CARRIED (4 to 1) 5. COMMENT AND DISCUSSION 5.a ARBORIST REPORT City Arborist Walter Gault provided an update on the following project:  There will be a Study Session on the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Code and Defensible Space Regulations at the Oct 7, 2025 City Council Meeting.  Starting late 2025, Community Development staff are working on a Tree Regulations update. The Tree Committee will be reviewing the draft update at a later date.  City staff will be at the SLO Farmer's Market on October 23, 2025 doing community outreach ahead of Arbor Day.  The Arbor Day event will be taking place on Saturday, November 1, 2025 at Santa Rosa Park. 6. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 6:45 p.m. The next Regular Meeting of the Tree Committee is scheduled for October 27, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Hearing Room at City Hall, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo. _________________________ APPROVED BY TREE COMMITTEE: XX/XX/202X Page 8 of 26 TREE COMMITTEE AGENDA REPORT SUBJECT: REQUEST TO REMOVE OF 1 CALIFORNIA PALM TREE LOCATED AT 1010 FOOTHILL BLVD (APPLICATION NO. TREE-0657-2025) FROM: Walter Gault, Urban Forestry Program Coordinator / City Arborist Phone Number: (805) 781-7578 Email: wgault@slocity.org RECOMMENDATION Review the proposed tree removal application for consistency with the Municipal Code Section 12.24.090(E) and provide a recommendation to the Community Development Director. 1.0 APPLICATION DESCRIPTION Arbor First, the applicant, has requested the removal of one (1) 24- inch DBH Washingtonia filifera (California Fan Palm) at 1010 Foothill Blvd located within the R-4 zone. The applicant has indicated in their application the tree is in good condition and that the fronds, seeds and seed pods are falling directly into the pre-school play area. The applicant would like to remove the palm tree and replace it with four (4) compensatory 24-inch box trees onsite including one (1) Tipuana tipu, one (1) Hymenosporum flavum (Sweetshade), one (1) Cassia leptophylla (Gold Medallion) and one (1) Chitalpa x taskentensis onsite. 2.0 COMMITTEE PURVIEW The Tree Committee’s role is to review the removal request in accordance with the process set forth in San Luis Obispo Municipal Code (SLOMC) Chapter 12.24, specifically Section 12.24.090(E)(3) - tree removals related to property owner convenience. This code section utilizes the process set forth in subsection F(2), the relevant additional application requirements in subsection (D)(2) and the criteria set forth in subsection (G). Meeting Date: 12/8/2025 Item Number: 4a Time Estimate: 20 minutes Figure 1: Location of tree removal request outlined in red. Approximate site of tree identified by green circle. Page 9 of 26 Item 4a 3.0 TREE REGULATIONS The City’s Tree Ordinance (Municipal Code Chapter 12.24) was adopted with the purpose of establishing a comprehensive program for installing, maintaining, and preserving trees within the City. This ordinance establishes policies, regulations, and specifications necessary to govern installation, maintenance, removal, and preservation of trees to beautify the city; to purify the air; to provide shade and wind protection; to add environmental and economic value; and to preserve trees with historic or unusual value. Criteria for Convenience Tree Removal Applications SLOMC §12.24.090 subsection (E)(3) requires review by the Tree Committee using the criteria set for in SLOMC §12.24.090(G). Applicable criteria are provided in italics below and followed by a description of the proposed tree removals as it relates to that criterion.  (G)(1). Size of Tree. The scale of the tree shall be considered, as well as the size of the tree’s canopy. Larger, more visually prominent trees may have a higher preservation priority than smaller, less visually prominent trees. The tree proposed for removal is large and visually prominent in the neighborhood.  (G)(2). Location of Tree on Private Property. The location of the tree on private property shall be considered. Trees located in a private rear yard, which are not highly visible from the public right-of-way, may have a lower preservation priority than trees with a high visual impact to the neighborhood. The tree proposed for removal is located in a private rear yard, but it is also highly visible from the public right of way.  (G)(3). Species of Tree. Native trees shall have a higher preservation priority than non-native trees. The California Fan Palm is not considered a native tree by the City of San Luis Obispo. Figure 2: View of palm from Cabrillo Hwy/ Highway 1 Page 10 of 26 Item 4a  (G)(4). Forestry Best Practice. The number of healthy trees that a given parcel of land will support shall be considered, and whether removal would enhance the health or survival of remaining trees. Applications that increase biodiversity of native trees and tree age distribution within a given area are preferred. The removal and replanting plan would increase the biodiversity of the urban forest and tree age distribution.  (G)(6). Compliance with Subsection J of This Section Regarding Compensatory Plantings. The approving authority may consider an application proposal to provide compensatory plantings in excess of required minimums in evaluating this criterion. The applicant is proposing to replant four (4) 24-inch box trees, exceeding the minimum required replanting rate of 1:1.  (G)(7). Heritage Trees. Heritage trees have the highest preservation priority. The tree is not a heritage tree. 4.0 ACTIONS 4.1. Recommend findings of consistency with the Tree Regulations. An action recommending approval of the proposed tree removals based on consistency will be forwarded to the Community Development Director for final action. This action may include recommendations regarding the compensatory replanting plan with size and species of tree. 4.2. Recommend findings of inconsistency with the Tree Regulations. An action recommending denial of the proposed tree removals should include findings that cite the basis for denial and should reference inconsistency with the General Plan, Tree Regulations, or other policy documents. 4.3. Continue the project to a hearing date certain, or uncertain. An action continuing the review of the proposed tree removals should include direction to the applicant and staff on pertinent issues. 5.0 ATTACHMENTS A - Tree Removal Application Form B - Arborist Report C - Site Plan D - Replanting Plan Page 11 of 26 Page 12 of 26 Page 13 of 26 Page 14 of 26 Page 15 of 26 Page 16 of 26 Page 17 of 26 Page 18 of 26 Page 19 of 26 Page 20 of 26 Page 21 of 26 Page 22 of 26 a ,J PM 1010 Foolhill Blvd - Google Maps Go ,gle Maps 1010 Foothill Blvd 1O1O Foothill Blvd Building (r-r E Directions Save Nearby Send to phone Share I 1O10 Foothill Blvd, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405 o n hftps;//www.google.com/maps/place/10'10+Foothill+Blvd,+San+Luis+Obispo,+CA+93405/@35,2948435,-120.667983,178mldata=l3mMe3l4m6l3m5!... 112 Page 23 of 26 Page 24 of 26 Page 25 of 26 Page 26 of 26