HomeMy WebLinkAbout2/3/2026 Item 5g, Clayton
Bianca Clayton <
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Please Preserve the Legacy Coastal Live Oak at 614 Monterey Street - ITEM 5.g for
2/3/2026
Dear Mayor and City Council Members,
I originally moved to SLO in 2006 to study Architecture and Sustainable Environments at Cal Poly, and
quickly fell in love with the natural landscape here. I am writing to urge you to deny the removal of the
legacy Coastal Live Oak at 614 Monterey Street (Item 5.g). This oak is not only a protected native tree, but
a living, breathing member of our downtown community. One that has quietly witnessed generations of
San Luis Obispo residents, businesses, and civic life. Mature oaks provide irreplaceable benefits,
including carbon sequestration, wildlife habitat, shade, and climate resilience that cannot be replicated
by replacement plantings within our lifetimes.
Located in the heart of downtown within the emerging Arts and Culture District, this tree represents an
opportunity to lead with creativity and values-forward planning. As stewards of the land entrusted to us,
we have a responsibility to care for legacy natural assets rather than treat them as obstacles to be
removed. The City could explore alternatives that design around the oak and elevate it as a focal point,
such as a pocket park with public art, sculpture, and murals, demonstrating that development and
preservation can meaningfully coexist. This majestic tree offering shade to those who want to pause for a
while.
Once a legacy oak is removed, its ecological and cultural contributions are lost forever. The decision
before you will shape the character of downtown for generations to come. I respectfully ask that you
uphold the intent of SLO County’s oak protections, explore alternatives to removal, and choose
stewardship over short-term convenience. Preserving this tree would affirm San Luis Obispo’s
commitment to honoring its living heritage and our shared responsibility to protect it.
Sincerely,
Dr. Bianca Clayton, DTCM, L.Ac.
Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine
M & A Acupuncture, Inc.
878 Boysen Avenue
San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
p: (805) 996-0682
f: (805) 436-1900
www.milkweedandalchemy.com
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