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Board allows Brookfield’s 5M project to remove four Howard Street trees after in‑lieu planting deal
Summary
The Board of Appeals granted an appeal from developer Brookfield/5M to remove four magnolias on Howard Street after the Bureau of Urban Forestry and the developer agreed to plant five replacement trees on site and fund five additional street trees with three years of watering; the decision was conditioned on the settlement and reporting where replacement trees will be planted.
The San Francisco Board of Appeals on Dec. 4 granted a request by Brookfield Properties for the 5M project to remove four Southern magnolia street trees on the Howard Street frontage, accepting a negotiated settlement with the city’s Bureau of Urban Forestry (BUFF).
Cutter McLeod, representing Brookfield, outlined the development’s public‑benefit package and said the project will deliver new sidewalks, park space and more trees citywide. He said project constraints made in‑place transplanting impractical and that developers had agreed to work with BUFF to find suitable relocation sites for the existing trees or to provide in‑lieu replacement. “We will be delivering half an acre of privately owned public open space and planting 45 new trees across the site,” McLeod said.
BUFF Urban Forester Chris Buck told commissioners the bureau was persuaded by the scale of the development and the developer’s willingness to finance mitigation. Buck said the department had identified feasible transplant sites (including Dolores Street) and offered to accept either transplanted specimens or an in‑lieu payment to plant 24‑inch boxed trees and to assume watering for three years. He estimated transplanting a mature city tree could cost from $5,000 to $20,000 per tree.
The board approved a joint motion that the appellant contribute in‑lieu fees to allow planting of five 24‑inch box street trees in South of Market and provide three years of watering; the motion also required the department to report where those replacement trees are located. Commissioner Daryl Honda moved to grant the appeal conditioned on the settlement; the motion carried 5–0.
What it means: The decision allows the 5M development to proceed with its streetscape improvements while increasing the city’s overall street‑tree count in nearby neighborhoods and securing a three‑year establishment watering plan for the new trees. The bureau will report back to the board on the locations of the in‑lieu plantings.
— Reporting from the San Francisco Board of Appeals meeting on Dec. 4, 2019.
