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Carmel planning commission allows removal of failing Monterey pine, requires replacement trees
Summary
After hearing expert testimony and public comment, the Carmel-by-the-Sea Planning Commission amended a prior design study to permit removal of a declining Monterey pine on a Hunter property and required replacement plantings.
The Carmel-by-the-Sea Planning Commission on April 9 voted to amend a previously approved design study to allow removal of a declining Monterey pine at 1 Hunter property, and required replacement planting as a condition of approval.
City staff and the city forester told the commission the tree had been in decline since 2024 and that construction work at the site had exposed large roots that would be harmed by continued grading. Justin Ono, City Forester, said the tree had “beetle flagging, red branches in the top of the tree,” and that exposed roots and compaction made recovery unlikely.
The tree’s owners, J.R. Hunter and his wife, spoke at the hearing that they had sought arborist opinions after the planning commission previously required the tree be preserved. Hunter said contractors and an engineer advised that the roots and site work meant the tree’s condition had deteriorated. Neighbor John Watson and several other residents urged the commission to require an independent arborist review and to explore alternative foundation designs that could preserve the tree.
Commissioners discussed both the community value of retaining Monterey pines and the forester’s assessment that the tree was unlikely to recover. Commissioner Alborn said he accepted the city forester’s recommendation that removal was appropriate and asked that replacement trees be provided. The commission voted to allow the tree’s removal and to amend the design study with conditions requiring replacement plantings: one upper-canopy tree plus two lower-canopy trees to be installed on the property in locations that staff and the city forester approve.
The resolution records that the authority to issue a tree removal permit rests with the city forester and notes that the planning commission’s design-study amendment responds to public interest in the tree’s preservation. The commission’s action was unanimous among members present.
The decision means the owner may proceed with removal under the forester’s permit process and must meet the newly adopted replanting requirements. Staff said the city forester’s on-site supervision and the planting and monitoring provisions in the resolution will be used to reduce risks to adjacent properties and to help restore canopy cover over time.
