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Street Tree Removal
updated: Mar 12, 2013, 1:53 PM

By Edhat Subscriber

We are considering applying for the removal of a street tree. Can anyone offer some insight into the trials and tribulation of getting this accomplished?

Two of the neighbors across the street from us have applied before for removal of trees in front of their homes and have both been denied by the city even with letters of full support from surrounding neighbors and offers to replace the tree with a more suitable species. They have offered to support us as well but it seems from talking to folks the chances of being allowed to remove or even prune a tree is near impossible in this city. These are not oaks, but non-natives that are ruining the sidewalk, making them impassable for anyone handicapped, ruining sewer lines, blacking sunlight and views, and just a general nuisance.

Comments in order of when they were received | (reverse order)

COMMENT 383891	2013-03-12 02:07 PM
My neighbor had two large eucalytus trees in front of her house that had large trunks and ruined her sidewalk, besides staining the cars and dropping leaves and seed pods constantly. She kept after the arborist for years and finally he agreed that they needed to go and put them on the schedule for removal. He offered to move them up in order if she paid for it but she refused since they belong to the City. Another neighbor paid 7000 to fix a sewer line ruined by City trees and the City refused to chip in. I would have sued them in small claims and gotten at least 5000 of it back because if the trees are in the City's easement and they don't maintain them, they are liable. Make sure you send the city a certified letter stating that they are assuming liability for any damage.
COMMENT 383893	2013-03-12 02:10 PM
The city removed a tree in front of my yard upon request...but I had a legitimate reason. The tree was dying, with a major structural deficiency that put it at risk of falling (it was hollow), and drug dealers were using the hollowed trunk as a drop off/pick up point for cash/drugs/whatever. I think if you have a legit reason that doesn't boil down to "I don't like the tree," then it's not hard at all.
KDEF	2013-03-12 02:11 PM
Could subscriber reveal the species of the trees in question, also their location? Is the denial from the City Arborist or by the Street Tree Advisory Commission?
COMMENT 383898	2013-03-12 02:15 PM
If you want it removed don't mention it to the City, sorry but they will not let you do it, even if you have an airtight case. Kill it, tell them it's dead and needs to be removed. Then replant something more neighborhood friendly. As to how to kill it, That's what google is for:)
COMMENT 383900	2013-03-12 02:17 PM
Just tear all the trees down. Artificial trees would look nice, and would create jobs for more manufacturers in China. Oxygen is overrated.
COMMENT 383902	2013-03-12 02:25 PM
3891.... if it were only that easy.
COMMENT 383904	2013-03-12 02:30 PM
Trees don't ruin sewers or pipes. Pipes develop cracks and start to leak -- in which case, they need to be replaced if they are pipes you own -- and the tree roots grow toward the water. Don't punish the trees because your pipes need to be fixed. It won't solve the problem. Think of it as an early warning system and thank the tree for giving you the warning.
COMMENT 383905	2013-03-12 02:33 PM
"...they paved paradise, and put up a parking lot."
COMMENT 383910P	2013-03-12 02:44 PM
Have a third party complain. For some unknown reason the City responds to third party complaints and not to the complaints of owner of the property where the problem tree exists. These problems wouldn't exist in the first place if the City would stop planting the wrong trees.
COMMENT 383911	2013-03-12 02:49 PM
I asked the city about having an obviously deceased small oak tree (12') removed and was told that it's on their "watch list" to determine for certain that it's dead. But they couldn't give me definitive time frame for when the death watch would end. Anyone with a 5th grade education can tell that it's no longer among the living but yet it needs to be watched in case it rises once again. No wonder so many citizens are frustrated with different goverment entities.
COMMENT 383928P	2013-03-12 04:01 PM
It's Arbor Week.
COMMENT 383929P	2013-03-12 04:03 PM
I had a city tree that I repeatedly asked the city to prune, and the response was a city employee parking across the street, looking at the tree from his truck and saying it was on my property. The last time was when I was home, noticed the truck and convinced the driver to get out and look at the trunk, growing out of the setback. He agreed that it was a city tree, said it was now close to dead, and it was removed. There's a city jacaranda tree close by, Palisades & Hudson, that's been cracking the pavement for decades. The cracks were left when Hudson was repaved a few years ago, and water and weeds that result have been undermining the new pavement on the downhill side of the street since. The city enforces laws that generate income for the city. I've used used this criterion to predict city response for years with good correlation and few exceptions. One exception is that when the street sign at this intersection was stolen, public works added an extension to raise the height of the pole, replaced the sign, and did a great job. Thanks, guys. The city takes good care of nearby magnolia trees whose flowers are used in the Fiesta parade. Many trees on the city's list aren't adapted to our climate, and their health is unrelated to their care, many have natural shapes that make them unsuitable for street-side planting. Pruning required to keep the street passable to vehicles is destructive to them.
COMMENT 383945P	2013-03-12 05:29 PM
Read the Randy Alcorn article on this issue in the current Indie.
AUNTIE S.	2013-03-12 05:46 PM
After Gene Tyburn's minor vixtory over the little dictator superintendant of the urban forest maybe things will be easier. I'll be glad when he's gone.
COMMENT 383961	2013-03-12 06:27 PM
Good Luck with THAT! The People's Republic of Santa Barbara feels that the 50,000 Plus NON-Native Trees they have planted over the last 50 years are like sacred cows...! I bought a home on the northside 6 yrs ago and the previous owner "de-barked" the Jacaranda at the base. As I am doing yard work in MY front yard, a "City Forester" (LOL) tells me " he is watching me and the tree weekly- If he sees anymore damage, I will be held responsible..." He came by and threatened me two more times before I told him I will take legal action based on harrassment. I never TOUCHED the Jacaranda. Meanwhile, no one parks their car under it due to all the tree litter (year around) and I fill up half a green waste can a week with all the tree litter...
COMMENT 383977	2013-03-12 07:21 PM
Do the right thing and ask for forgiveness later. A chainsaw is a terrible thing to waste.
COMMENT 383996P	2013-03-12 08:13 PM
Thank you, 904, for putting out some useful and much-needed info. People are not smart about sewer lines and trees----at all. My question to the poster is: How long have you lived at your present residence? I bet you haven't lived there 1/10th as long as that tree has been on your street. I think we need to put this into perspective. You move in, you don't like a tree that has been growing for many years. You have it removed. Then you move to your new home elsewhere. This scenario happens again and again, all over SB. I say thank GAWD for City Tree advocates and protectors. Over the course of 30 years, I have watched three different neighbors try to have our neighborhood's Canary Island Date palm removed. Schmucks. The tree, now approx 70 years old, continues to provide shade, oxygen, habitat. The tree "removers" have all moved on. Now the fourth new neighbor is wanking about this beautiful palm. This is my first time----ever----- to "say" this, but---find something else to do. Tree averse people are so lame. Oh. And trees don't "black sunlight." Trees provide shade.
COMMENT 384008P	2013-03-12 10:22 PM
I am stunned there are not more negative comments, because inappropriate street trees are the bane of neighborhoods with sidewalks and tiny planting strips everywhere. Counties, cities, and developers are equally guilty. They crack pipes, pitch sidewalks, contribute volumes of debris (that the homeowner is responsible for), yet the homeowner is prohibited from dealing with the tree in a responsible way. Anti-government sentiment starts close to home with petty government overlords telling us which trees we must have in our front yards.
COMMENT 384009	2013-03-12 11:28 PM
Thanks for the laugh folks!
COMMENT 384011P	2013-03-13 04:57 AM
I think that it would depend on the trees and the neighborhood... like if you live on Anapamu between Garden & Milpas and have those big trees out front, you're completely out of luck because the city loves those old trees.
COMMENT 384015	2013-03-13 06:07 AM
If the trees are truly inappropriate, band with as many neighbors on your block, get a new street tree designated, hire an ASCA Arborist to evaluate the tree and submit findings with tree removal application. A brief reminder why trees are good: 1. Trees Produce Oxygen 2. Trees Clean the Soil 3. Trees Control Noise Pollution . 4. Trees Slow Storm Water Runoff. 5. Trees Are Carbon Sinks 6. Trees Clean the Air . 7. Trees Shade and Cool 8. Trees Act as Windbreaks 9. Trees Fight Soil Erosion 10. Trees Increase Property Values
COMMENT 384024	2013-03-13 06:26 AM
Sewer lines crack in response to an increase in earth pressure. The addition of a 3 ton tree and roots growing and compacting and shifting the soil certainly changes and increases the loading on the pipe. Even if sewer pipes just miraculously cracked on their own, without invasive tree roots in the area they would still function adequately. Ask a plumber with a videocam- some of the old clay pipes have disappeared over the years but the wastewater still flows through the opening until a root shows up. So if a tree root belonging to a city affects a sewer pipe and leads to a 7000 bill, how is that not at least partially the city's responsibility?
COMMENT 384026	2013-03-13 06:36 AM
024- It is more than partly a city resposibility as they are charged with containing sewage and treating it. Unfortunately 977 is correct.
COMMENT 384027	2013-03-13 06:38 AM
FYI for "trees are great" poster... I am sure everyone, including myself, like plants and trees. The point is, if you look at photos of the City taken from Stearn's Wharf looking up towards the Mission, you will see very FEW trees, except the oaks and sycamores in the creeks. Now, after the City has installed 50,000+ non-native trees, they are spending millions on Creek Clean up- Our creeks are clogged alright, but NOT with plastic grocery bags, but TREE LITTER that clogs our storm drains and prevents the natural flow of our creeks! I think it's hilarious that the City pays millions for "Creek" personnel due to the failure of their own insight.
COMMENT 384032	2013-03-13 06:53 AM
One aspect of the "good tree vs bad tree" discussion I didn't see herein is the inflammability consideration. Trees that produce lots of fuel (Eucalyptus, Schinus, Pinus, etc.) are real fire hazards in the foothills and even in adjacent parts of the city abutting the foothills. Nearly all trees benefit our lives by providing beauty, shade, and roosting opportunities for all manner of living things...notably birds and insects. But thought should be given to the fire ladder potential of exotic species. My vote is always for greater botanical diversity with an eye to the fire hazard one is potentially planting. Goodbye to most Eukes, Peppers, and Pines...hello to many palms, aloes, and moringas.
COMMENT 384040	2013-03-13 07:05 AM
Old sewer lines aren't pipes, there are two half pipes laid atop each other. Roots from trees naturally go for the moisture, clogging and destroying the dual half pipe sewer drain. I paid to have mine cleaned and was told such when I asked "how do roots get thru a solid pipe?", they don't, they go thru the two side slots of the dual half pipes. Still wondering if I was told the truth. Grain of salt.....
COMMENT 384044	2013-03-13 07:15 AM
Part two: More tree suggestions for non-fire ladder, wonderful exotic tree genera that do well in Santa Barbara and deserve a chance to adorn our streets: Brachychiton (some species are already well-represented-but rupestris is the best in show and hardly present at all) Erythrina (ditto...anything but coralloides) Chorisia, Pseudobombax...all are stem succuculent to some degree and don't burn.
COMMENT 384045	2013-03-13 07:17 AM
I live on the upper east and we have glorious camphors on our block. I look out my window and see only their canopy. The city seems to like them as they've trimmed their roots and repaired the sidewalks twice since we bought our house in 1997. I'm just thankful they're not ficus as the city (or someone on staff) clearly hates those wonderful trees.
COMMENT 384051	2013-03-13 07:35 AM
@904/996: Tree roots DO shift & crack pipes, even newer plastic/ABS. If they can lift a concrete sidewalk or street paving(as everyone has seen) what chance does a pipe have? Yes, we ALL love trees-we just dont love ALL trees.
COMMENT 384056	2013-03-13 07:58 AM
The City of Goleta is much more responsive to complaints and inquiries about trees than the City of Santa Barbara. They respect the need for an suburban forest, but are not nearly as bureaucratic as SB
COMMENT 384074	2013-03-13 08:33 AM
If the City wants trees on their easement, the City should have the staff and resources to maintain them and pay for any damage they cause. I'm not stupid enough to plant a water seeking tree on top of the area where my water, sewer, and gas lines enter my property. Plenty of other places to do that, and I have. Has anyone tried to sue the city for damages to their property? What ordinance or state law prevents this? Especially if I sent a registered letter to the City previously telling them about the situation and giving them a chance to rectify the situation. If some City employee came out and accused me of a crime without any evidence, everybody and their mother at the City would hear about it from me. It's easy enough to get the email addresses of the mayor and council members and department heads online.
GBOB	2013-03-13 08:35 AM
I'll try to make this succinct. If you follow the law and the appropriate route to removal, and if the reasons are legitimate, it is possible your request will be granted. The Parks & Recreation Commission (appointed by City Council) reviews and acts on all requests, based on advice from the Street Tree Advisory Committee (STAC - appointed by the P&R Commission). Neither body will approve a removal without good reason, and if the tree is a healthy, sound specimen, it is unlikely approval will be granted. A denial may be appealed to City Council. Council has upheld appeals about half the time, so if you feel you've got a legitimate reason, don't be shy about appealing. While properly-installed PVC sewer pipes won't leak, and therefore will not allow root intrusion, if a tree is close-enough, it's possible the growing roots will deflect and partially block, or even break the pipe. This can also happen to water pipes. You can prevent this by installing a "Bio-Barrier" between the tree and the pipes. Not being a lawyer, I can't say who would prevail in a case regarding liability, but history indicates the City usually prevails. However, I would also say that those of you who advocate in a public forum removal without permit, and Edhat itself, may risk prosecution for promoting illegal activity. Regarding NON-native trees, there are very few NATIVE trees suited to our climate and soils. The town would be pretty dull with nothing but oaks, sycamores, and California Bay. And of these, only oaks would be content to grow in the narrow parkways prevalent around town. The STAC is frequently asked to designate additional species for neighborhood streets, and when they do so they are careful to prescribe trees of appropriate size that will not cause future problems. No one should hesitate to make such a request. We have an abundance of trees that were planted without regard for the consequences over our long history, but the City is loathe to remove any tree that provides the benefits of shade and habitat. And believe it or not, a large tree in front of your home can add substantially to its value (ask your RE agent).... [ more ]
COMMENT 384087	2013-03-13 08:57 AM
Very simple. Just call Edison, Verizon or Cox Cable and tell them the tree is interfering with your electricity, telephone, internet or video reception. The have a crew of butchers who will virtually destroy any tree under the guise of "pruning it" and they are never subjected to public agency controls or scrutiny like you would be.
COMMENT 384112P	2013-03-13 09:45 AM
I've lived in the same home for almost 20 years and recently two people have moved into the neighborhood and automatically, in one year, they both removed about four very old Oaks-which were in the original plans for the properties. The home where I live is now much noisier, not to mention, sadder, less beautiful, there are fewer birds, and my view is now of telephone poles, from the loss of all those trees. It made me so mad when one of the new owners simply rented the home out. Humans have turned the land into a commodity and in return, they have no connection to it. How can we justify cutting down a living thing that is SO OLD when we live but a fraction of it's time? I don't get it-I never will. Money is just paper, but a tree is so much more.
FLICKA	2013-03-13 03:46 PM
Lets be fair to the poster; if the tree is buckling the sidewalk, making it dangerous, and disrupting sewer lines, it is likely not a good choice. The commenter who blamed the original poster for having faulty sewer lines is dead wrong. Trees know when the "pottery type" lines have water (and they can be in perfect condition) and the roots actually break into them. We had so much trouble we had the sewer line replaced with a new material the trees can't "read".

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