San Ramon Council Considers Plan to Remove Thousands of Mature Sycamore Trees at an Estimated Cost of $10 Million Dollars to Residents

Hello Residents of San Ramon,

We now have a much bigger fight on our hands than the Council’s decision to remove 100 trees along Bollinger. Now the City Council is seriously considering expending an estimated $10 million dollars on the removal of thousands of Sycamore trees throughout the Dougherty Valley.  While I am presently in contact with the Department of Fish and Game and the State Attorney General’s office to determine what recourse we may have in connection with the anticipated environmental impact to the hawks and wildlife in the area, I encourage you to write your council members in opposition to the proposed plan which would essentially target selected neighborhoods within San Ramon and remove, in some cases, mature Sycamore trees that have been there for over 15 years due to alleged maintenance cost concerns and problems to pipes and sidewalks.

While I can appreciate the Council’s concerns with the maintenance costs, we are talking about stripping neighborhoods of their trees and replacing them with 5 gallon trees. Picture your neighborhood without your trees. Not to mention the extraordinary cost to San Ramon, the impact on the wildlife would be devastating and in most cases, not necessary. Sycamore trees have been in San Ramon for decades, a proactive plan to remove thousands of trees when we allegedly cannot afford fireworks and Christmas decorations due to the City’s budget concerns is an abuse of discretion by this Council, who once again did not bother to determine what the San Ramon voters want on this issue. Please assist me in voicing your objections to the Council before it is too late.

I want to be clear in stating that I am not opposed to addressing problematic trees.  What I am against is a global plan, at an estimated cost of $10 million dollars, to proactively remove thousands of trees in the Dougherty Valley which will necessarily include the loss of trees and wildlife with no issues.  As for who should bear the cost, the current Council appears to believe we have an unlimited budget and can pay for liabilities that the Dougherty Valley Developers have under the Dougherty Valley Settlement Agreement.  They would rather simply sit back and have us pay for the cost of these staff report plans, rather than expend any effort in fostering assistance from the County or the developers who likely bear liability for the selection of the trees and their planting to begin with. But now that they are here, I suggest the City take steps to get the Developers to pay for the maintenance and repairs as opposed to having the San Ramon voters pay 10 million dollars while their neighborhoods are stripped and the beautiful wildlife is sacrificed.

Thanks to those who are asking how to help.   At this point, I think if you simply cut and paste this blog to CityAttorney@sanramon.ca.gov and CityCouncil@sanramon.ca.gov and say “I oppose the Council’s proposal for the reasons addressed below” that should suffice for the time being.

I am going to look into getting an email petition set up (similar to the one that opposes the cemetery plans) but after I get some additional information on the measure. Right now my information is limited and based on emails with one of the council members and a phone call with one of the engineers from the planning department.  They referenced me to a 2/2/13 meeting and agenda which addressed one isolated neighborhood but from that, came a suggestion to make it a much bigger project.  I am told there have only been “internal discussions on the specifics” but I want to get those specifics before we get a formal petition going.    Thanks for your help on this.   

    Karyne T. Ghantous, Esq. Ghantous Law Corporation 2603 Camino Ramon, Suite 200 San Ramon, CA 94583 Tel. (925) 242-2431 Efax (800) 485-8201 www.glawcorp.com