Save 7 Heritage Trees

March 27th EQC Meeting Outcome

The EQC appeal vote did not go in our favor: 4 voted to kill the tress and 3 voted to keep them. Many thanks so those who came to the meeting. More supporters attending certainly would have helped our cause, though the nail in the coffin was the lack of a "feasible alternative" to removing the trees – in quotes because we vigorously disputed that several of the alternatives presented were indeed infeasible. Here is an article from a reporter of the San Jose Mercury News who covered the EQC meeting: Despite outcry from environmentalists, City of Menlo Park approves removal of redwoods.

A few key points to understand that became evident during the EQC meeting:

1. The purported safety issue to building penance is greatly overblown since the building owner admitted that they are currently in no imminent danger.
2. The practical lifespan of the underground parking lot's waterproof membrane is 30 years, which means that the water erosion issue will recur with or without the trees.
3. The city's $157,500 valuation of the trees disincentives putting any effort into exploring and pursuing innovative solutions that would alter the structure vs. removing the trees.

The next step is to appeal to the city council. Judy Rocchio has volunteered to lead that effort. This time, the city council may not waive the appeal fee of $700 ($100 per tree). We'll keep you posted regarding how you can help next.

More fun facts:

• The original premise of the tree removal is FALSE:
  • False premise point #1: The trees are causing damage to the structure (this staff report confirms that this is not the case)
  • False premise point #2: No feasible alternatives to removal exist (alternatives do exist that increase the cost of repairs)
• The building structure damage at 1000 El Camino Real was not caused by the trees.
• The land at 1000 El Camino Real is owned by the city and leased to the building owner.
• The building structure repair solution proposed by the building owner will damage the trees and require their removal.
• There are alternative building structure repaire solutions that will not damage the trees, but these solutions are costly.
• The city of Menlo Park estimates the monetary value of the trees at $157,500 – not enough to justfy the more costly solutions.

How to get involved:

• Sign the online petition and add a comment about why you support preserving these trees.
• Got questions? Send them to 7heritagetrees@gmail.com and we'll reply with answers :-)