HomeMy WebLinkAboutTC - Monge (TC 08-28-2017) 8/29/2017
Christian, Kevin
From:Advisory Bodies
Subject:FW: Garden Street trees
From: Valerie Monge \[ ]
Sent: Monday, August 28, 2017 4:21 PM
To: Johnson, Derek <djohnson@slocity.org>
Cc: Harmon, Heidi <hharmon@slocity.org>
Subject: Re: Garden Street trees
Thank you, but oh gee, I just saw that I had a typo and meant to write the trees on Garden Street between Marsh
and Higuera. Hopefully he committee knew what I meant!
Thanks,
Val
Sent from my iPhone
On Aug 27, 2017, at 8:50 AM, Johnson, Derek <djohnson@slocity.org> wrote:
Good Morning Heidi,
We will make sure that the Tree Committee receives this information.
Thank you!
Derek
From: Harmon, Heidi
Sent: Saturday, August 26, 2017 2:44 PM
To: Valerie Monge < ; Combs, Ron <rcombs@slocity.org>; Johnson, Derek
<djohnson@slocity.org>; Christian, Kevin <kchristian@slocity.org>
Subject: Re: Garden Street trees
Derek or Kevin- Can you forward this to the tree committee please:
From: Valerie Monge <
Sent: Saturday, August 26, 2017 8:46 AM
To: Harmon, Heidi
Subject: Garden Street trees
Hello Tree Committee,
I'm writing in regard to the potential removal of trees on Marsh street between Higuera and Marsh. I have
frequented the businesses on that street for years and was shocked to recently see signs draped around their
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trunks debating their removal.
I will admit I'm not an architect or an engineer. I'm a regular Cal Poly employee, raising my kids in the city I
love. I've never been vey politically active, but honestly, this past year makes me wonder if we will stand up for
anything we believe in. I marched past that street with thousands of others from SLO last winter. The natural
world is being compromised all around us while we justify it in the name of business. These beautiful trees looked
down on me and seemed to ask me to help intervene on their behalf since they have no voice of their own.
This may seem dramatic, but trees are beautiful and dramatic living things, growing for decades and standing
witness to all the changes and fancy of humans. Doesn't a developer, then, who is spending millions of dollars to
renovate an area (and will be receiving much more in return over time) have a responsibility to very seriously
attempt to incorporate mature, healthy, beautiful trees into their plans? Shouldn't they be planning around the
trees, not the other way around?
The sidewalk does not look bad to me there. Apparently the developer wants to lower the sidewalk, but shouldn't
that only be allowed if they can find a way to do it that honors the trees? He states that the trees "may become
unstable" if he lowers the sidewalk, which sounds like an excuse at best and a reason not to lower the sidewalk if it
is true.
I just returned from beautiful Paris, which is packed with centuries-old trees lining the streets. Let's use our
imaginations! I bet there are many architects and engineers who would give this developer alternatives that
would save these old trees and help keep the character of Garden Street.
Respectfully,
Valerie Monge
Sent from my iPhone
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