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Board upholds DPW decision to allow removal of three Oak Street ficus trees near school after split vote
Summary
After days of testimony from neighbors, a consulting arborist and school representatives — and after viewing video of a limb collapse — the Board upheld a DPW order permitting removal of three ficus trees near the National Center for International Schools; the vote was 2‑2, and the permit stands by default because three votes are required to overturn departmental action when a seat is vacant.
The Board of Appeals considered a contested urban forestry permit on Jan. 11 to remove three ficus trees on Oak Street adjacent to the National Center for International Schools. The school said the trees posed imminent hazards after a limb collapse last June; neighbors urged preservation of the tree canopy that defines their block.
School counsel Daniel Klingebeil showed a short video of a limb failure into the school playground and said the school had an independent arborist’s report identifying decay and extensive root cutting. Consulting arborist Roy Leggett testified that root crown excavation showed decay and root loss likely caused by repeated sidewalk and curb repairs, weakening the trees’ anchorage. "Decay is present in trees 1 and 2, as well as root cutting for curb repairs, which is extensive," Leggett said.
DPW’s urban forester Carla Short explained the department’s staff‑level recommendation for pruning was overturned at the departmental hearing because of limb‑failure risk and the high target potential of children and parents at pickup times. Short acknowledged the species’ susceptibility to large limb failures and said the department required replacement trees (36‑inch box) as part of the permit.
Neighbors said the trees provide noise mitigation and aesthetic value; several longtime residents said removal would leave a barren block. A 2‑2 split vote followed; with one seat vacant the Board cannot overturn a departmental action without three votes, and the DPW order stands by default. The DPW order number is 179675. The school said it will replace the trees; neighbors urged careful consideration of replanting and the long‑term canopy loss.
The Board’s decision leaves in place DPW’s permit to remove three trees while requiring replacement conditions; the community and the school remain at odds over whether pruning could have been adequate to address safety concerns.
