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Neighbor urges town review after severe limbing of redwoods at 43 Hillbrook
Summary
A Portola Valley resident told the Conservation Committee that a neighbor severely limbed three 100-foot redwoods at 43 Hillbrook without a permit, leaving the trees top-heavy and possibly hazardous; the committee agreed to inspect the site and coordinate with town arborists and permit staff.
A Portola Valley resident told the Conservation Committee that a neighbor drastically limbed three redwood trees on the uphill side of 43 Hillbrook without obtaining the required site development or tree permits. Jackie Kubica, who lives at 51 Hillbrook, said the work ‘‘trimmed 3 redwood trees of approximately 100 feet in height that sit on our property line’’ and removed between one-third and one-half of the trunks, reducing live foliage and raising safety concerns for her home.
Committee members and staff clarified that the work appears to be ‘‘limbing up’’ rather than topping but agreed the extent of the cuts warranted review. The chair asked Kubica to provide photos and said staff and an arborist would follow up with a site visit. Kubica cited town code 15.12.050 (hazard trees) as a potential enforcement path and asked the committee to consider arborist input and, if necessary, invoking the hazard-tree provisions.
The committee did not make an enforcement decision at the meeting; instead, members asked staff to examine permits and visit the site. The committee’s immediate steps were logistical: collect Kubica’s photos, arrange a site inspection with planning staff, and determine whether the work complied with the tree-permit conditions or requires further action.
