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Board upholds Sixteenth Street tree removals after SFMTA-funded replacement plan; appeals denied
Summary
After months of community concern and claims that the city’s survey recommended pruning, the board denied appeals against Sixteenth Street Phase 1 ficus removals, finding the departmental review and an SFMTA‑funded program to plant 53 36‑inch‑box trees and water them for three years provided adequate mitigation.
Appellants challenged a Public Works order approving removal of multiple ficus trees as part of SFMTA’s Sixteenth Street Phase 1 improvements, arguing the 2017 EveryTreeSF census recommended pruning not removal and that a citywide ficus removal campaign warranted CEQA review.
Bureau of Urban Forestry staff and SFMTA project managers said they inspected the subject trees and found structural issues in many ficus that justified removal; SFMTA committed funding to plant 53 36‑inch‑box replacement trees for the project area and to provide three years of contractual watering / establishment. Appellants presented maps showing vacant planting sites that they said could accommodate replacements without removals; BUF replied that project coordination and plantable‑site analysis were completed and that many replacement basins are already being cut or planted as part of construction.
After deliberation the board denied the appeals (motion by Commissioner Tanner), concluding the department’s process and the SFMTA mitigation plan were adequate; the votes to deny were 5–0. The board encouraged continued public engagement and directed departments to follow through on planting commitments and reporting.
