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Politics & Government

Tree Commission Hears of Destroyed Oak, Talks Wind Damage

Brad Hull talked to Patch about the steps taken since a neighbor cut down an oak tree behind his house, and the Tree Commission looked for ways to expedite safety measures for damaged trees.

When Jennifer Hull got up to speak at the Sierra Madre Tree Advisory Commission on Wednesday night, she knew that they could not respond to her concerns about losing a beloved oak tree.  The Brown Act precludes a commission from responding to public comments that do not address agenda items. The tree was cut down by a neighbor, not damaged by the recent wind, which was the main agenda item.

Jennifer Hull spoke for less than the five minutes allowed, recapping the sentiments in the blog her husband, Brad, posted on Patch on Dec. 10.  She noted that the Hulls had retained their own surveyor and talked to the police department, and she asked for direction from the commission.

According to Hull’s blog, they and the next-door neighbor disagreed about removing the oak tree near the property line.  It stood on the Hull’s side of the fence, but when they were out of town for a trip, the neighbor had the tree cut without their knowledge and without the property owner’s permission. 

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“We don’t want to step on any toes,” Brad told Patch prior to the meeting, “but the loss of the tree has affected us….We want justice on our part.”  

The story attracted the attention of KCBS investigative reporter Randy Paige, who came out with a camera crew Wednesday, and he has received phone calls of support.  Hull said a surveyor who was onsite at the same time told Paige that the tree is on the Hull’s side of the property line.

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Elaine Aguilar, Sierra Madre City Manager, said that even though the tree was an oak, the Sierra Madre tree ordinance only protects indigenous trees in conjunction with a development, such as a room addition or construction.  The shed the neighbor was planning on putting up does not need a permit and does not qualify as development.  

Patch asked if the fence, which Hull says has been there more than the five years they’ve been renting, could be considered as the property line. He responded that some people had suggested that.

Prior to the tree being cut, Hull and the neighbor were on civil terms, he said.  “She waved goodbye to us on the morning we left.”  He said the owner of the property is “taking steps” and wants to replace the tree and told him that she would pay “whatever it costs to have a mature tree put in place.”

 “The only punishment I want to see is I want to see them replace that tree,” Hull said.

Tree Advisory Commission discusses windstorm damage

The main focus of the Tree Advisory Commission at Wednesday’s meeting was how to quickly address the need to remove damaged trees.  The policy for tree removal requires Public Works (PW) to come to the commission on a case-by-case basis to request removal of specific trees. 

In hazardous situations, the police or fire department can give approval, but with damage from the Nov. 30 windstorm so widespread, it was not deemed feasible for police or fire personnel to do this.  Public Works does not have that leeway. 

Bruce Inman, director of Public Works, asked the commission direction on how to expedite the process of identifying and removing hazardous trees and trees that are so severely damaged they will not survive.  He noted that bringing trees individually would make for very long agendas.

Some commissioners noted that with monthly meetings, the process would take a long time, and if disaster funds become available, there will be time limitations on using the monies.  The commission discussed giving DPW permission to use its own judgment on which trees to remove. 

Commissioner Jeff Hall said, “We’ve all worked intimately with Public Works. I’m comfortable with the way they worked with the level of casualty from the storm.”  He suggested giving PW some leeway and evaluating the need from month-to-month.

Commissioner Ilona Volkmann stated that she would like to “define the period of emergency very formally.  Forgive the pun, but we are in a triage situation.

“I feel confident that Public Works should deal with emergencies as quickly as possible.”

Various criteria were suggested for identifying which trees need immediate removal, and the commission requested that PW research the recommendations of arborists and come up with a list.

There was also considerable discussion as to which species of trees were more likely to come down in a windstorm, overwatering, solitary trees versus those in more compact situations, and the need for crowns to be balanced.

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