Folsom resident warns diseased Bradford pear trees in neighborhood park pose safety hazard, urges higher parks funding

Sharon Kendall, a longtime Folsom resident, used photos during public comment to show deteriorating Bradford pear trees in Davies Park and urged the council to increase the parks and recreation maintenance budget.

Kendall said the trees appear to be past their useful lives and that the city arborist recommended removing them a year earlier. "If you look closer to this limb, this is what you see. Would you like to walk underneath this limb tomorrow?" she asked the council, describing limbs and hollow trunks that she said create a public-safety hazard.

Kendall referenced a recent lawsuit in Davis that settled for $24,000,000 after a park user was killed by a falling limb, and asked council to "triple" the parks and recreation budget to address maintenance and removal of unsafe trees. She said she has documented the trees for years and asked the council to prioritize tree removal and other maintenance to reduce hazards and preserve public access.

Parks staff and councilmembers acknowledged the maintenance concerns later in the meeting during the budget discussion and indicated that the department will present options for changes and service levels as the budget process continues.

Why it matters: aging street and park trees can pose hazards to park users and pedestrians; residents highlighted specific trees and urged more aggressive maintenance funding to reduce safety and liability exposure.