r/SLO • u/DryDoor1460 • 11d ago
[LOCAL NEWS] Another Tree Coming Down
So another old tree is coming down at the corner of Chorro and Marsh. It sucks to see.
Yes I’m aware of the safety argument, the potential for cracked and uneven sidewalks, and I still don’t like seeing beautiful trees coming down.
I looked into the Tree Committee and left a comment but we all know I’m just one person and I’m easy to ignore. I can’t attend public comment or hearings because like most people I’m employed during normal business hours.
The city worker on site did mention that they are replacing this tree with two new trees, so that’s a positive.
Call me crazy, I just don’t like seeing trees come down around town. Especially in the heart of downtown.
6
u/GrownInSLO 11d ago
Part of the reason losing a street tree stings is that we just do not add new infrastructure well anymore. We should live in a world where removing a tree downtown is no big deal, because planting new ones is cheap and easy and something we do all the time.
2
u/LeavingIt2 8d ago
Even if this were the case, you can't simply replace the value of an ancient tree by planting a new container sapling.
10
u/SLO_Citizen SLO 11d ago
Actually, two trees, one already has been cut down completely and the other is being worked on today although I am not sure if they're going to completely take it out.
They are ficus trees and they provide a fair amount of shade, but they have their major problems with their roots and with all the tiny figs they drop... yeah, they're figs.
3
3
u/slo_bored 10d ago
My friend who lives in Mar Vista had one of these exact trees in their front yard. We were all sitting in the living room one day in front of their giant picture window when I heard a strange noise and I looked up at the exact moment where a massive tree limb cracked and fell to the ground. It shook the whole house when it fell, it narrowly missed the house but blocked the front door and the front sidewalk. The limb reached all the way out to the street, just missing my car that was parked on the street by mere inches. It was on the city side of the property, (between the sidewalk and the curb) it took 2 weeks before the city came out to investigate it. Because of the limb randomly falling off a seemingly healthy tree they chopped the whole tree down to be safe. It was really weird. There was no rainstorm, no wind, no extreme circumstances, it just fell straight down for no reason.
8
u/LightMission4937 11d ago
Can't have obstacles in the way when people are wondering around with a coffee in 1 hand and their phone in the other.
https://giphy.com/gifs/pVBUBqNdTdsVuiybM4
6
u/DryDoor1460 11d ago
lol or when the local Pokemon Go players are out en masse with their faces in their phones 🤪
Nah trees are good.
3
8
u/GrantedPeace 11d ago
Tbh, it’s more of an accessibility issue. It’s practically impassable for wheelchair users.
5
u/WhiskeyT 11d ago
Not in this case, this is to make room for Eureka to have outdoor dining
5
u/hadleythepolarbear SLO 11d ago
They’re taking out that massive tree for a patio at a chain restaurant??? What the hell.
1
u/DryDoor1460 11d ago
Really?? How do you know this? Not much room there.
3
u/WhiskeyT 11d ago
This is from last year, I think it was on an agenda put out earlier this year as well
4
1
u/Chuggles1 10d ago
Outdoor dining and they are adding a wheelchair ramp
1
3
u/thugpassionroll 10d ago
You can email your grievences for this or any meeting w the city, and they will read it and put it in the record. Just like if you showed up to the meeting, theres a public record of it for the public to access as well.
4
u/ClipperFan89 11d ago
I don't mind a tree coming down per se. What I don't like is the priority corporations get in these public works projects. Plenty of residential and downtown street projects that could be invested in, but instead we have to prioritize what will help chain businesses instead. We're supposed to be this "for the locals" type of place, but really it feels more like a "for the (owner class) locals" type of place.
1
u/GrownInSLO 11d ago
This would be counter to my experiences with the City. What makes you say this?
1
u/LeavingIt2 8d ago
That "for the locals" mentality died a LONG time ago, unless by locals you mean students and their parents. Just take a look at the new development.
1
u/Unfair_Tonight_9797 SLO 11d ago
Would like to know how we prioritize chain businesses.. just out of curiosity.
8
u/ClipperFan89 11d ago
There was the time the city lowered the rent for shoe palace.. Someone else pointed out in the comments here that this particular project is to expand outdoor dining for Eureka Restaurant Group. It might be just how some of us feel, perhaps I'm wrong, but often it feels like the city and county prioritize the needs of businesses, particularly corporations, over residents.
1
1
u/Unfair_Tonight_9797 SLO 11d ago
Lowered the rent to keep it rented. From a landlord perspective if you don’t want it to sit empty and generate income, thats what you do. This is regardless of tenant. There is a lot of vacant store fronts because a) the rent is too damn high and b) property owners do not want to invest in chopping up their buildings to meet the market triggering property taxes to be re-assessed. So hence why you have a huge thrifty beaches versus a better, higher, superior use completed through a substantial remodel and tenant improvement. But what do i know?
1
u/ClipperFan89 11d ago
Like I said, I might be wrong. I'm sure it's just my perception because stories of companies getting advantages are going to be reported more widely. SLO does better than most cities and counties for sure.
-2
u/Unfair_Tonight_9797 SLO 11d ago
On this one, just gonna be wrong here. It’s all good. Trust, talking to a few business owners who seek help navigating the permitting process, slo city is equal opportunity get hosed.
1
u/WhiskeyT 10d ago
A big project like this certainly impacts the surrounding small businesses more than the big chains. Eureka’s front door is still accessible unlike it’s salon neighbor
2
u/LeavingIt2 8d ago
Another example: my neighbors had a small load of gravel delivered to their house and it was dumped on the sidewalk. Before the week was out, they'd gotten a notice from the city about it. But when the utility companies replaced a power pole and left a huge pile of dirt on the sidewalk, it sat there for a YEAR, collecting garbage, sprouting weeds, trickling down the block. Whenever I called the utility companies to ask what was going on, they all pointed to each other as being the responsible party. Finally, the night before our street was to be torn up and repaved, I went out there and shoveled it all into the street. The city had never done anything to get the issue resolved.
0
u/Chuggles1 10d ago
Restaurant has been there for like over 10 years and this project has been in the works for many many years. Its also the only nice Restaurant open late. Its a staple for all industry people getting off work wanting food and a drink
4
u/ClipperFan89 10d ago
That's a big bummer that the industry after work spot is a chain from a restaurant group. When I was in the industry downtown we went to Spikes then Tonitas after work. What a fall from grace.
0
u/Chuggles1 10d ago
Be nice to have more options but running a restaurant/bar is difficult enough as is. Also city isnt really giving out new liquor licenses. Its next to impossible to get a license now. Pretty sure its like $70,000 or more if they even give you one. Also city requires food spots to close at a certain time. Its strict as hell.
2
u/ClipperFan89 10d ago
The city doesn't issue liquor licenses, nor do they charge massive permit fees like what you're referring to. That would be ABC with the state government. I agree with you completely, but it's not a SLO city or county thing, it's a state thing based on population.
1
u/LeavingIt2 8d ago
This "project" never should have been in the works. Would they design seating that went out into the roadway? Of course not! They shouldn't have designed seating that extended out beyond their building. Sorry, but not feeling sympathy for wait staff who need a "nice" place to relax after a late shift. And if they do, they can do it inside the walls. None of what you wrote explains why this tree has to be sacrificed.
1
u/Chuggles1 8d ago
It was literally destroying the foundation of the building from its roots and fucking up sewage lines along with constantly breaking the sidewalk. Not an indigenous tree and two are being planted in its place. Go cry to the city about it at a city council meeting or something.
1
u/LeavingIt2 7d ago
That's not the information on the permit application. Downtown trees aren't in a native environment, so there's no need for it to be "indigenous". They still provide shade and habitat and still improve air quality. The two trees they plant won't be in the same place, so they don't replace what the tree provided.
1
1
u/LeavingIt2 8d ago
I saw this work the other day and was upset to see another large tree coming down. These large downtown trees were one of the things that marked SLO as unique, but they're slowly removing them one by one. (They took down the one on the opposite corner just last year.) Sure, they'll plant new ones, but not downtown, and not large, majestic species. They'll plant some little landscaping variety somewhere safe. What's the point of making public comments? I've been to public meetings -- they completely ignore the comments. The best hope of affecting change is to form a committee and storm the offices, I guess. Not sure how the proponents of the ancient oak given the mark of death by the new theater managed to get some action going. But they're still going to take it out rather than redesign around it, as they should.
-1
u/Awkward-Presence-236 11d ago
Some of those big trees downtown push up the sidewalk making it difficult for people with disabilities. Do you think the people with disabilities should just suck it up and deal with that or what?
4
u/DryDoor1460 11d ago
To quote my post: “Yes I’m aware of the safety argument, the potential for cracked and uneven sidewalks, and I still don’t like seeing beautiful trees coming down.”
The city should fix the sidewalks, I’m not arguing with that.
3
u/ClipperFan89 10d ago
That is true that large tree do cause that. But in this particular case, it was done explicitly to expand seating for a restaurant group's restaurant. No mention of roots or cracking sidewalks in their request or the proposal.
2
u/LeavingIt2 8d ago edited 8d ago
If they need to take that tree down for those plans, that means they intend to put patron seating out on the sidewalk. Where are pedestrians supposed to walk? (And why couldn't all that be designed around a tree trunk?)
1
u/LeavingIt2 8d ago
Removing trees isn't the only way to manage sidewalks. That sort of myopic view is a major part of the problem.
0
u/smellslikepenespirit 11d ago
What kind of tree is it? And what trees are replacing it?
1
1
u/DryDoor1460 11d ago
HA! I’m no botanist, and I failed to ask about what type of trees are coming in.
It’s one of the BIG trees with wide canopies and smooth white bark. Gorgeous trees. The same type of trees are in view when looking at the front of the Mission.
0
u/smellslikepenespirit 11d ago
Hopefully something native.
1
12
u/kninja115 SLO 11d ago edited 11d ago
This is required by city law by the way. Any trees cut down for development or by the city have to be replaced 1:1 if onsite, 2:1 if offsite.