Archive

October 14, 2007

Dear Mayor Bloom and Councilmembers:

With all respect to staff and the Council regarding the 2nd and 4th Street tree removal plans, the Planning Commission requests that the Council re-consider, re-agendize, or use whatever method is appropriate, to have an additional Council discussion. With work now scheduled to commence next week it is urgent to immediately add this item to your next Council meeting. With the contract in place we suggest that rather than doing all of the removal right away, the City delay, to the greatest extent possible under the contract, by proceeding slowly and removing only those trees known to be diseased. The City should be able to meet contract requirements while re-considering what needs to be done.

We do not make this request lightly. Not only is there widespread public concern, but valid questions have been raised from various quarters, possible alternatives presented for handling the situations where trees conflict with re-design, and ways suggested to preserve these living organisms where they now live.

The Commission is concerned about the urban design itself (how it actually works, how it "feels", what it does . . .), the paramount question and importance of sustainability (environmental benefits of the full canopy to which the planned new gingkos will not contribute for many years, questions of oxygen and heat island effect, problems of rainwater washing into storm drains and subsequently into the ocean . . .).

Many useful suggestions are being promoted which we would like to discuss with the Council, as would the public. There surely are useful alternatives which can be implemented either within the existing contract or by using our City's negotiating skills to modify that contract slightly. Were the use of rubber sidewalks, permeable concrete, adjusting location of lighting, more frequent or different approaches to pruning - in other words use of alternatives that involve changing non-rooted items rather than uprooting living treees - considered and discarded, not considered, not known or thought of when the downtown urban design plan was adopted?

These many questions and issues move us to make this request.

Thank you,

Planning Commission of the City of Santa Monica