Board upholds DPW removal of Noe Street carob tree amid safety and sidewalk concerns

The Board of Appeals upheld a Department of Public Works permit to remove a large carob tree on Noe Street after hearing testimony from neighbors and DPW urban forestry staff.

Appellant Michael Burkett argued the department did not provide requested documentation about limb failures and questioned whether replacement trees promised in prior removals had actually been planted. Burkett and other neighbors said the tree was a valued, mature specimen and asked the Board to set aside the permit or delay removal until clearer replacement timelines were guaranteed.

DPW Urban Forester Carla Short presented inspection history dating to 2008, documented repeated limb failures and photos showing canopy decline and sidewalk damage opposite the tree's lean. Short explained DPW's maintenance policy: when structural roots affect sidewalk repair and the risk of limb failures increases, removal may be necessary to preserve pedestrian access and safety. She said stump grinding and coordination with sidewalk crews make replacement timing dependent on equipment and scheduling but estimated replacement could occur within a couple of months where feasible.

Several neighbors and community members urged the Board to save the tree or require a faster replacement schedule; others acknowledged DPW's conservative approach but accepted its safety concerns. After deliberation, commissioners found DPW's documentation and arborist testimony persuasive and voted 3-0 to deny the appeal and uphold the permit.

The decision authorizes DPW to remove the tree; DPW said it will attempt to coordinate stump grinding, sidewalk repair and replacement planting as equipment and crews allow.