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HomeMy WebLinkAboutIV-2 - GS Activity Report• Agenda Item No. 2 January 6, 1997 General Services Department Park and Tree Divisions December 1997 Activities Report Park Division Activities 1. Staff continued coordinating construction projects regarding MacArthur Boulevard, Castaways Park, the Pacific Coast Highway and Newport Boulevard Interchange Project, and Sunset View Park with the Public Works Department. 2. Staff continued coordinating with the Public Works Department Phase II of the "Green Acres Reclaimed, Water Project ". The project will route reclaimed water to irrigate Bonita Creek and Eastbluff Parks and several of the Jamboree Road medians. 3. Irrigation renovation and plant replacements were completed by staff at various sites. • 4. Staff continued coordinating with the Community Services and Public Works. Departments for the renovation of the sand play area in Bayside Park. 5. Poinsettias were planted at City Hall,for seasonal color. 6. A donation bench was placed at Buffalo Hills Park. 7. Contract removal and replacement of the asphalt walks of Galaxy Park and the maintenance driveway at Irvine Terrace Park continues. 8. A handrail was installed at the Inspiration Point walkway for public safety. Upcoming Activities for January 1. The planting of replacement shrubs and ground covers will continue Citywide. 2. Staff will continue to coordinate the installation of recycled wood chips in all City medians and roadsides for weed control, water conservation, and recycling purposes. 3. Staff will continue to monitor the mitigation plan in the Mouth of Big, Canyon area. • 4. Staff continued coordinating the annual control of rodents by contract services. Tree Division Activities During the month of December, 705 trees were trimmed, 7 trees were removed, 17 trees was planted, 15 emergency calls were responded to regarding trees and 160 tree maintenance 'requests were received by the Urban' Forester. Additionally, to date there has been approximately 116 calls related to storm damage, 21 fallen trees of which two fell upon houses. and one onto a car with no personal injury. Parks staff responded to approximately 50 calls and West Coast responded to 66 calls. The cost for West Coast .Arborists (WCA) response to date has been $6,800, this cost does not include property damage, tree stump removals, and tree replacement. The total cost will be determined at a later date of which a budget amendment will be pursued and recovery for funds expended back from the County. Fallen branches from the storm are continuing to be cleaned up by staff and WCA. 1. Tree removal's were performed at these various locations during the month. Replacement trees were planted at alternate sites whenever the existing removal location prevented any tree planting per City Council G -6 guidelines. Removals were as follows: • 1636 Anita Lane - One dead tree removed. One replacement tree planted. 509 Marigold Avenue - One dead tree removed. One replacement tree planted. 2957 Cliff Drive - One dead tree removed. One replacement tree planted at alternate site. 2711 Harbor View Drive - One tree removed due to sewer lateral damage. One replacement tree planted at alternate site. 238 Iris Avenue - One dead tree removed. One replacement tree planted. 2900 Ocean Boulevard - Two dead trees removed. Two replacement trees planted. 2. The City tree trimming contractor WCA, completed work at several locations within the Newport Heights area. Additionally, the contractor completed the annual trimming of palm and coral trees throughout the City to reduce potential storm damage. 3. The Urban Forester coordinated the Citywide Sidewalk Replacement Program with the General Services Department Concrete Supervisor. This • involved the Urban Forester inspecting City street trees as related to sidewalk repairs. • 4. Informationally, staff made the attached administrative changes to the City Council G-1 Policy. The new verbiage to the policy is underlined and deletions in the document have lines through them. 5. The City Council Policy G-1 requires that 30 days advance notification be made to the Commission prior to any tree removals. The following locations are recommended for tree removal: a. 315 El Modena Avenue - Remove two Indian Laurel Fig trees due to property damage. Replant two trees. b. 2018 Windward Lane - Remove one' Sweetgum tree, next to driveway causing property damage. Replant one tree at alternate site. c. 1700 Highland Drive - Remove two Indian Laurel Fig trees due to property damage. Replant two trees. d. 11 Half Moon Bay Drive - Remove one Evergreen Pear tree due to property damage. Replant one tree. e. 4720 Courtland Drive - Remove one Brazilian Pepper tree due to property damage. Replant at alternate site. f. 501 Poinsettia Avenue - Remove one Red Ironbark tree due to property damage. Replant one tree. g. 714 Marigold Avenue - Remove one severely damaged Brazilian Pepper tree. Replant one tree. h. 201 Via Orvieto - Remove one severely decayed Queen Palm tree. Replant • one tree. i. 1851 Port Renwick Place - Remove one Fern Pine tree due to property damage. Replant one tree. j. 2615 Blue Water Drive - Remove one Rusty Leaf Fig due to property damage. Replant one tree. k. 2607 Harbor View Drive - Remove one Indian Laurel Fig due to property damage. Replant one tree. 1. 1900 Irvine Avenue - Remove one severely decayed Desert Gum tree. Delay replant until the Commission can approve a new designated tree at a future meeting. m. 1600 Anita Lane - Remove one Indian Laurel Fig tree due to property damage. Replant one tree. n. 2245 Aralia Street - Remove two severely decayed Brazilian Pepper trees. Replant two trees. Park and des Maintenance, Superintendent MGL/pw Attachment G•1 RETENTION OR REMOVAL OF CITY TREES The purpose of this policy is to establish definitive standards for the retention, removal, maintenance, reforestation, and supplemental trimming of City trees. City,street trees are an important part of the character and charm of certain communities and regular care, trimming, maintenance and programmed replacement are necessary to preserve this charm while protecting public and private property. SPECIAL CITY TREES It is the City's policy to retain City trees categorized as landmark, dedicated, or neighborhood trees which contribute to and give character to an entire neighborhood. Landmark, dedicated, and neighborhood trees are identified on Attachment 1, and shall hereinafter be referred to as Special Trees. Trees within these categories shall be established, mapped, recorded and maintained by the Parks, Beaches & Recreation Commission ( "Commission "). Special Trees shall be retained, unless there are exceptional problems which require their removal. Prior to consideration for removal of Special Trees, the General Services Director, or designee, shall prepare a report identifying and implementing specific treatment to retain the tree(s): If specific treatment is unsuccessful in retaining a tree(s) then a full report shah be made to the Commission before any further action considering removal is taken. Prior, to any removal of Special Trees, the City must comply with the noticing provisions of the Removal of City Trees section set forth in this policy. During normal sidewalk, curb, and street repair activity requiring root pruning, all steps will be taken to retain Special Trees. If tree roots are to be pruned in association with hardscape improvements, sufficient timing in advance must be planned to ensure that pruning will not destabilize or kill the tree. If both sides of a tree's root are to be pruned, one side should be pruned a year in advance of the other side. ALL OTHER CITY TREES It is the City's policy to retain all other City trees unless removal is necessary for one of the following reasons: 1. The City tree has had a history of damaging public or private sewers, water mains, roadways, sidewalks, curbs, walls, fences, or foundations based on City records or other competent and reliable authority despite specific treatment by the City to alleviate repeated damage. 2. The City tree has had a repeated history of interfering with street or sidewalk drainage, despite specific treatment by the City to alleviate repeated damage. G•1 • 3. The City tree is dead, diseased, or dying. 4. The tree(s) must comply with the criteria for reforestation as contained in the Reforestation of City Trees section of this policy. 5. The tree(s) have been requested to be removed in conjunction with a City Council- approved neighborhood or community association beautification program. REMOVAL OF CITY TREES The initiation to remove any City tree may be made by the General Services Department, Public Works Department, a legally established community association, or a private property owner by making application with the General Services Director. After receipt of the application a tree inspection report shall be prepared by the City's Urban Forester (Attachment 2) to determine if the tree(s) meets the criteria outlined above.for consideration for removal. Simultaneously, a notice shall be •provided to the affected property owner and the owners immediately adjacent to the applicant's property, and the appropriate community association if applicable. The Urban Forester shall determine whether in his/her judgment additional specific treatment can be initiated to retain the tree. If a tree(s) is to be removed, the tree(s) will be marked at least 30 days prior to the removal, in order to notify the .public at large. Once .a recommendation is made by the Urban Forester and' the Park and Tree Superintendent to the General Services Director, and the General Services Director or designee concurs, then the applicant, the adjoining owners, and the community association if applicable shall be notified of the decision to remove or retain the tree within 30 days of the proposed removal. The General Services Director, or his designee, shall report at a regularly scheduled PB &R Commission meeting of all trees recommended for removal, except for those categorized in paragraph 3 in the preceding section on All Other City'Trees. An applicant, an adjoining property owner, or any interested party may appeal the decision of the General Services Director to the Commission, and if the appeal cannot be resolved at the Commission level, then the final resolution will be determined at the City Council level. The Commission and Council, in considering any appeal, shall determine whether the removal meets the criteria outlined in this policy, as well as any unique factors which may be pertinent to the removal or retention of tree(s). REFORESTATION OF CITY TREES It is recognized and acknowledged that City trees were planted many years ago and in some cases were planted with specific species that when fully mature socreate significant problems in curb, gutter, sidewalk or underground utilities. In certain neighborhoods, mature City street trees may encroach into blue G -i • water views from public and private property depending on the length of time since the trees were last trimmed. • • Today, arborists have developed lists of tree species which are able to grow in restricted parkway areas without causing significant future problems to curb, gutter, .sidewalk, utilities or views. The concept of systematically replacing mature trees which are creating hardscape and/or view problems and cannot be properly trimmed, pruned or modified to alleviate the problems they create, or those which are reaching their full life and are declining in health, is referred to as reforestation. As a City which understands the importance of trees and the beauty it brings to a community, the City desires to continually improve the, urban forest through reforestation. In areas where City trees have been removed through City initiation, the City should expeditiously replace them with the appropriate designated City tree. 'Reforestation may also be initiated by residents utilizing the process outlined below. The City shall require the proper care and watering of replacement trees to ensure their proper growth and development as outlined in City Council Policy G -6. Furthermore, no person .shall tamper with replacement trees in violation of Section 13.08.040 of the Municipal Code. Individuals or parties desiring to reforest City trees in their respective area, may submit a request to the General Services Director for consideration by the Commission that meets the following requirements: a. The proposed area must have boundaries that include the trees replacement, street addresses, geographical information. M e: clearly defined contiguous proposed for removal and block numbers, or other Residential communities, neighborhoods or business organizations must submit a petition signed by a minimum of 60% of the property owners within the area defined for reforestation. A neighborhood is defined for the purposes of this policy as ten or more homes in any given area of the c. d: A written agreement by the petitioning sponsor to pay 100% of the costs of the removal and replacement of the public trees in advance of any removal activity. The actual removal and replanting will be coordinated by the General Services Department. The total costs shall include only the contractor's removal and replacement costs. d e: The replacement tree must be the designated street tree as prescribed by City Council Policy G-6 or the organization must request and have approval from the Commission of the designation of a different tree species. e. G -1 In the event that the Parks, Beaches and Recreation Commission does not approve the reforestation request, the applicant has the option to appeal the proposal to the City Council. TREE TRIMMING STANDARDS /SUPPLEMENTAL TRIMMING The City Council has adopted tree trimming cycles for trees of different ages and species. The current tree trimming cycles and trimming standards represent the maximum feasible frequency and extent of trimming given current fiscal conditions. Except as provided in this Section, trimming shall be in accordance with the standards of the International Society of Aboriculture (ISA). The City will consider, and as a general rule approve, requests to trim certain trees more frequently or to trim trees consistent with practices. applied prior to the adoption of ,ISA standards (to ,enhance public and private views, preserve required sight/distance standards, or other public purposes) which are submitted by affected residents or the board of a legally established community association and the request is accompanied by a commitment to fully reimburse the City for any costs of trimming. The General Services Director shall establish procedures to implement the supplemental trimming provisions of this Policy.