Board continues Palou Avenue appeal after evidence three apple trees were removed before hearing

The Board of Appeals on June 3 continued a contentious appeal over removal of three apple trees at 1501 Quint Street (Palu Avenue streetscape) to July 1 so San Francisco Public Works and the Bureau of Urban Forestry (BUFF) can investigate how and why trees were removed before the permitting and appeal process concluded and present a mitigation plan.

Appellant Zach Karnazes told the board that the apple trees were healthy, were removed while an appeal was pending, and that the department’s handling—he said including deleting posted photos and failing to respond to ADA accessibility concerns—undermined public trust in the appeals process. He and other public commenters urged the board to hold the responsible parties to account and said in‑lieu fees were inadequate as a remedy for what they described as illegal removals.

Marcy Camacho, project manager for the Palou Streetscape Improvement Project, summarized the project’s goals — pedestrian safety, traffic calming and greening — noting the project covers about 1.66 miles with a budget of roughly $10,000,000 and has plans to plant 114 new street trees overall. She explained the cul‑de‑sac design and said contractors had evaluated transplanting but recommended against it; she said the design changed in response to fire‑vehicle turning radius and safety needs.

Chris Buck, BUFF urban forester, confirmed three apple trees had been removed and said the bureau is “incredibly disappointed” that removals occurred before approvals; he said BUFF has drafted an administrative fine and will determine whether the contractor or a different city unit should be charged. Buck acknowledged communication breakdowns and said BUFF and Public Works will coordinate to avoid overlapping posting periods and to improve on‑site monitoring of tree protection.

Several commissioners expressed concern that an internal project team had allowed work to move forward while appeals were unresolved and asked whether DPW’s construction management team was actively supervising the site during COVID‑19. Commissioners requested a report back showing who removed the trees, whether work should have been paused while appeals were pending, and a proposed mitigation plan beyond standard in‑lieu fees.

Vice President Daryl Honda moved to continue the item to July 1 to allow Public Works and BUFF to investigate and return with findings and a replacement plan. The board approved the continuance.