Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Urban Forestry Tree Replacement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board Allows Tree Removal at 114 Chattanooga With 3‑for‑1 Replacement
Summary
The Board of Appeals overruled the Department of Public Works and approved removal of a problematic street tree at 114 Chattanooga on condition the owner plant one 36‑inch box tree and two 24‑inch box trees nearby; Bureau of Urban Forestry emphasized maintenance responsibilities.
The San Francisco Board of Appeals overruled the Bureau of Urban Forestry’s denial and approved removal of a structurally compromised tree at 114 Chattanooga Street, adopting a mitigation plan that requires the appellant to replace the removed tree with one 36‑inch box tree at the property and two 24‑inch box trees near St. James Catholic Church.
Carla Short of the Bureau of Urban Forestry told the board that the subject tree had structural concerns and that root pruning required for removal risked the tree’s survival; she said the bureau supported mitigation that included a 36‑inch specimen plus two 24‑inch boxes nearby, noting the replacement is not an exact trade‑off and emphasizing the importance of a maintenance plan covering the first five years when mortality is highest.
Appellants Kevin Romancho and Steve Fung said they had met with Urban Forestry and the parish and secured a letter from Father Foley agreeing to maintain the new trees at the church. Commissioners discussed precedent and stressed the need for a binding maintenance agreement to ensure the replacements become established. The board voted 5–0 to overturn DPW’s prior denial and adopt the replacement condition.
Implementation: the Bureau of Urban Forestry will follow up to confirm planting locations and a maintenance plan; the board stressed that this decision should not be read as a general policy change granting routine 3‑for‑1 swaps.
Quote: "So the bureau would support this proposal...the greatest mortality for street trees is in those first 5 years of life when they are trying to get established." — Carla Short, Bureau of Urban Forestry.
