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Residents plead with board to halt DPW tree planting plan for St. Mary’s Park medians
Summary
Multiple St. Mary’s Park residents urged supervisors during Nov. 9 public comment to postpone a Bureau of Urban Forestry tree planting scheduled for Nov. 13 on College Avenue medians, citing historic design, inadequate outreach and safety and maintenance concerns.
Dozens of St. Mary’s Park residents used the Nov. 9 public‑comment period to urge the Board of Supervisors to intervene in a planned Department of Public Works (DPW) Bureau of Urban Forestry (BUF) tree‑planting project slated for Nov. 13 on the College Avenue medians.
Speakers representing the St. Mary’s Park Improvement Club and longtime residents described the medians as a nearly 100‑year‑old historic open vista designed by landscape architect Mark Daniels. They said the four grassy medians have been maintained by neighborhood volunteers for decades and that the city’s BUF failed to conduct meaningful outreach or provide adequate notice before scheduling the planting.
Callers cited concerns about the scale and species of trees proposed, the medians’ underlying infrastructure (including an abandoned sewer line), potential root damage to streets and sidewalks, changes to sight lines and neighborhood character, and the city’s capacity to maintain newly planted trees. Several speakers said they submitted a petition with nearly 100 signatures asking for postponement but that DPW had not responded; others criticized a small door‑to‑door survey and involvement by a Friends of the Urban Forest member as insufficient community engagement.
Speakers requested a postponement until the Planning Department’s Historic Preservation staff could review the proposal and until a formal community vote or more comprehensive outreach occurred. The clerk’s office recorded repeated calls for the board to direct DPW to halt the planting scheduled for the coming Saturday and to allow resident review.
Board reaction: President Walton and the clerk acknowledged the public comments; no formal motion to delay the scheduled planting was made during the meeting. DPW representatives did not speak during the public‑comment period on the Nov. 9 record. Residents were given a phone number to contact for further assistance but did not receive an on‑the‑record commitment from the board to postpone the project.
Next steps: Residents said they will continue outreach to DPW and seek review from planning/historic preservation staff; the immediate request was a postponement of the Nov. 13 planting pending fuller neighborhood consultation.
