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Board overrules DPW, allows street‑tree removals at 116 Drake with strict replacement and maintenance conditions
Summary
After hearing neighbors and Department of Public Works testimony, the Board of Appeals overruled DPW and approved removal of two street trees at 116 Drake Street subject to replacement requirements (three replacement trees for two removed) and a notice/special restriction guaranteeing replacement rather than an in‑lieu fee.
The San Francisco Board of Appeals on March 9 overruled a Department of Public Works decision and approved a modified tree‑removal request for the property at 116 Drake Street, conditioning removal on an expanded replanting requirement and a recorded restriction to ensure replacements.
Property owners Stephen Currier and Kenneth Kalani appealed DPW’s partial denial, arguing the two Callistemon (bottlebrush) street trees attract wasp nests, block light, contribute to a safety problem adjacent to parked cars, and make access and maintenance difficult. DPW urban forestry staff conceded one tree showed structural defects and granted removal for that tree, but recommended preserving the second as healthy and important for canopy and urban tree cover.
After testimony from the owners, neighbors, and DPW planner Carla Short — who emphasized San Francisco’s preservationist tree policy and the higher mortality of young replacements — the board concluded the project merited an exception given site specifics. The board overruled DPW and required the permit holder to plant three replacement trees for the two removed (a 3‑for‑2 ratio), to record a notice/special restriction (NSR) so replacements remain as a long‑term condition and to limit the option of paying an in‑lieu fee except where DPW determines a replacement cannot be planted.
The board’s action reflects a balancing of property‑owner concerns (safety, visibility, maintenance) against city canopy preservation goals; it also requires the property owner to work with DPW to identify replacement species and exact planting locations.
