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Parks commission denies removal of coast live oak at 408 Los Robles
Summary
The Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Commission voted to deny a homeowner request to remove a coast live oak at 408 Los Robles Lane, finding the tree healthy and not meeting code standards for removal; the homeowners argued wildfire risk and costly annual trimming.
The Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Commission voted Feb. 26 to deny a request to remove a coast live oak in the front setback at 408 Los Robles Lane.
The commission’s action follows a Street Tree Advisory Committee review and staff findings that the tree is a large, generally healthy coast live oak with some close stem attachments but no documented imminent failure. The owner and resident Maura Mitchell urged removal at the meeting, citing wildfire risk, ongoing trimming costs and an inability to secure an arborist willing to reduce the canopy to the 10 feet of defensible space the speakers said the fire department requires.
Staff forestry specialist Mr. Slack told the commission that committee arborists noted poor branch attachments among three stems but said normal maintenance would likely keep the tree at low risk of large limb failure. Slack also said drainage issues previously associated with the tree have been repaired and that the species is comparatively fire resilient. He recommended denial of the removal request in line with the Street Tree Advisory Committee’s recommendation.
Mitchell said the household spends about $1,000 a year on trimming, that the tree’s large canopy can’t safely be pruned to the clearance the family seeks, and that branches hang over a garage and interior office. She told commissioners she and her spouse wish to replace the oak with a smaller species that will meet defensible-space concerns.
Commissioners discussed fire risk, precedent for removals, and available exemptions under the municipal code. Staff explained two common exemptions: if a tree’s health has declined to the point that it will not recover (staff can issue an exemption) or if there is an imminent failure condition documented by an arborist. Staff also said property owners may reapply at any time and that an exemption can remove the need for a formal permit in extreme cases.
Vice Chair Clark moved to adopt the committee recommendation and deny the removal. The motion was amended on the floor to state that the denial was “without prejudice,” leaving the door open for the owners to return with new information; a second was made and the motion passed. The commission read the appeal language on the record, noting that actions under Santa Barbara Municipal Code chapters 15.20 (tree planting and maintenance) or 15.24 (preservation of trees) may be appealed to the city council within 10 days under S.B.M.C. 1.30.50.
The commission and staff signaled interest in convening a workshop with the Fire Department and the Street Tree Advisory Committee to address rising homeowner concerns about wildfire, insurance impacts, defensible-space expectations, and whether code or policy amendments are warranted.
Votes at a glance: the commission voted to deny removal of the coast live oak at 408 Los Robles Lane; the motion was made by Vice Chair Clark, amended to be “without prejudice,” seconded (not specified on the record) and passed. The recorded tally was not specified in the meeting minutes and is not available in the transcript.
This decision does not prohibit the property owners from applying again or seeking a staff exemption should the tree’s health deteriorate or if an imminent failure is documented.
