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Board approves removal of two large Monterey pines at 2 Garfield Street, conditions replacement
Summary
Connie Marr told the Board of Appeals that two Monterey pines at her Merced Heights property had experienced multiple limb failures and threatened her home; Public Works recommended retaining the trees but offered a compromise. The board granted removal on public‑safety grounds with replacement conditions.
Connie Marr, owner of 2 Garfield Street in Merced Heights, told the Board of Appeals on June 20 that two large Monterey pines adjacent to her single‑story home posed an unacceptable risk after prior limb failures in 2013 and 2016 that damaged utilities and the house roof. Marr submitted an independent arborist's assessment (Roy Leggett) concluding the trees presented above‑average risk for limb failure with potentially catastrophic consequences to structures and people.
Chris Buck, Urban Forester with Public Works Bureau of Urban Forestry, acknowledged the limb failures but said both trees otherwise show good vigor, limited signs of pitch canker and habitat value. Buck told commissioners that his field measurements indicated much of the trees’ trunks and canopies are in the public right of way and that Public Works normally maintains street trees in those locations. Buck said the department preferred to retain the trees if sustainable but acknowledged structural concerns and the close proximity to the sidewalk and house.
After questions about codominant stems, root cuts from a prior water‑main repair and the public‑right‑of‑way status, the board moved to grant the appeal for removal on public‑safety grounds with conditions requiring replacement plantings (the board’s motion specified allowance for one replacement tree behind the fence and one tree in the previously approved replacement location tied to a prior 2014 permit). The motion passed on a recorded vote.
What happens next: the property owner will coordinate removal and replacement planting with Public Works per the board’s conditions. Public Works indicated it could assume maintenance responsibilities for right‑of‑way trees if the owner preferred, but the owner had requested removal due to safety concerns.
