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Board of Appeals continues Dorado Terrace street-tree removal case to let permit holder respond
Summary
The Board continued an appeal of Public Works’ order to remove three street trees at 317 Dorado Terrace after lengthy testimony from neighborhood appellant Paul Lanzi and a presentation by Public Works urban forester Chris Buck; the board set the matter for November 7 to allow the permit holder to appear.
Paul Lanzi, an appellant from the Mount Davidson Manor neighborhood, urged the San Francisco Board of Appeals on Oct. 17 to overturn a Public Works order approving the removal of three street trees at 317 Dorado Terrace and to reinstate a previously reduced fine. Lanzi said the trees — two mature ironwood (red ironbark) eucalyptus that were illegally topped in November 2013 — are among the last mature trees in his neighborhood and that past removals have left few viable basins for replanting.
Chris Buck, urban forester with San Francisco Public Works, told the board the bureau issued a fine for excessive pruning and directed the property owner to remove the trees and stumps and to plant replacements. Buck described the site as a narrow planter adjacent to 90-degree parking and said such locations are generally inappropriate for large-stature trees. Buck said the hearing officer reduced an original fine (listed in the record as $5,541) largely because Public Works is directing the owner to remove the trees and plant replacements, and he noted the bureau has issued nine fines on Dorado Terrace since November 2013.
Board members questioned Buck about the 90% reduction, enforcement options and the potential for replacement plantings. Buck described enforcement tools including fines for failure to plant, the threat of property liens in extreme cases, and annual inspections under Prop E (which shifted street-tree maintenance responsibilities to the city). He also said Public Works is open to specifying small-stature replacement species and had asked the appellant and owner to meet about species selection.
After discussion, a motion initially proposing to grant the appeal with conditions (three to four replacement with minimum 24-inch-box stock at owner expense) was withdrawn amid concerns that adding conditions without the permit holder present could be unfair. Commissioner Darryl Honda then moved to continue the matter to Nov. 7 so the permit holder could participate; the motion carried. The board recorded the continuation and directed staff to place the item on the next available agenda and to continue outreach to the parties.
The Board did not issue a final decision on the underlying removal permit at this hearing; the record shows the order number (188150) and that the removal was approved by Public Works for reasons tied to the trees’ prior topping and current site constraints.
What’s next: The board continued the matter to Nov. 7; Public Works staff and the appellant were asked to meet with the permit holder and discuss replacement species and conditions before the continued hearing.
