The removal of trees at Burlingame High School began today.
According to the tree company employee I spoke to said that the damage done to some trees through removing roots has caused the trees to become unstable. Also some of the trees need to be removed for the heavy equipment to get access to the "contaminated" soil.
He did not know how many trees would be removed, but his crew was scheldued to be on site for three weeks.
I would have made this a new post but I do not know how to.
I hope more people will get involved.
This is going to get very ugly.
I am very disappointed the local news media is not paying attention!
Comment by Holy Roller
- Written by Fiona
I am sorry to have to be "Paul Revere"..
But today two more live trees were cut down at Burlingame High School.
THE STUMPS ARE BEING REMOVED IMMEDIATELY.
No record is being held, and this history is being lost. What trees are were there, before, might not be there after, and there is no inventory.
This issue is bigger than Easton Ave ever was or will be.
Posted by: Holy Roller | December 29, 2007 at 02:48 AM
School trees sawed down (by Dana Yates, Daily Journal)
Photo - Contractors used chain saws to take down at least one tree in front of Burlingame High School on Friday.
There's plenty of noise at Burlingame High School these days, but one sound no one was expecting was the hum of a wood chipper. In a process of removing contaminated soil in front of the school, contractors Friday were using chain saws and a wood chipper on at least one stately tree. It is unclear how many stumps are hidden behind the green screens that shield the area from the public. However, the sudden removal of the trees in a city that prides itself on such flora surprised some. I had no idea about that,? said Burlingame Parks and Recreation Director Randy Schwartz, who is normally kept in the loop about any tree removal in the city.
The property belongs to the San Mateo Union High School District and the city does not have the authority over tree removal there. However, Schwartz said the school district has shared plans with the city and he is only aware of plans to remove approximately three trees near the softball field. Project Manager Todd Lee, of Greystone West, disagreed. For at least a year, plans included removing four diseased pines in the front of the school, he said. Seven diseased trees will be removed in total, he said. Three additional trees near the track will also be removed.
A representatives from the school district did not return calls Friday. The school district is closed for the holidays. School board president Linda Lees Dwyer returned a call Friday to report she knew nothing of the tree removal. The plan did not call for tree removal in the area directly in front of the school, Dwyer said.
However, a fact sheet released by the California Department of Toxic Substance Control, which is overseeing the soil cleanup, states that an arborist previously recommended the removal of 24 trees already in a state of decline. The school district proposed the removal of five trees in the lawn area directly in front of the school, according to the October 2007 fact sheet.
The report indicates the district has a tree replacement program, but refers questions about the program to the school district.
The tree removal comes as part of a $1.1 million project to remove three to six inches of contaminated soil discovered in 2005. Abnormally high levels of arsenic, a naturally occurring carcinogen, were discovered in soil directly in front of the school during a reconstruction and modernization project in 2005. A complete plan for removing the arsenic around campus was drafted and began last month. District officials hope renovations will be finished March 1, 2008. Cost increases initially caused delays.
The follow up question for SMUHSD District, Todd Lee, Randy, Linda, Dana, other journalists, etc ... WHEN WILL THE TREES BE REPLACED?
Posted by: | December 29, 2007 at 02:58 PM
Thank you for posting this Fiona.
I was very sorry to read that the City of Burlingame was unaware of the scope of this project.
While walking my dog this morning I met a "foreman" for the company removing the trees at BHS.
He told me that "school district property" is not subject to local ordinances.
His company does not need a permit for tree removal.
His company does not need to file a reforstation plan.
His company does not need a City of Burlingame business licence.
I beleive it does not excuse our city elders from not inquiring years ago about the removal of heritage trees regarding this project.
He told me that the City of Burlingame planning dept should have been aware of the tree removal.
Regarding the code word "diseased tree", what is the disease? I know the pine trees have a disease, I know the Redwood trees have a disease, I know the Sycamore trees have a disease.
If anyone takes the time to go to the site tommorow, 4 live trees have been removed, and a large DEAD TREE is standing right in the middle of this debacle! I have diabetes, but I will be around for a few more years.
How can something this big happen in such a special place? WITHOUT ANY INPUT FROM:
Randy Schartz
Jim Nantell
Every single council member!
Posted by: Holy Roller | December 30, 2007 at 02:35 AM
Randy Schartz has never met a tree he likes.....
Posted by: Angela | December 30, 2007 at 04:50 AM
I am sure it is not Mr Schatzs' fault.
It seems like the school district pulled a fast one.
However, if something is not done to stop this project tomorrow, 7:00AM 01/31/07, then fault needs to be handed out.
This project should have been stopped the first day, or the second, or third, and the City of Burlingame did nothing. The office of Randy Schartz is about 100 yards from this operation. What happened to the City of Burlingame Arborist?
Posted by: Holy Roller | December 30, 2007 at 05:44 PM
This is Burlingame. It doesn't matter what the citizens want. The people with the power do whatever they want whenever they want.
Posted by: CCI (Citizen for Correct Information) | January 01, 2008 at 01:16 AM
I am sorry to say that another large Pine tree was removed today at Burlingame High School.
I saw a machine that was there to remove stumps from the already fallen giants.
There seems to be no responce from Burlingame City Hall. None.
I guess since this is not an election period our mayor and council can coast for a while.
I wish this did not make me feel so sad.
If you come by the school and see all the tree debris, stumps, and the muddy swamp the grove of trees has become due to all the trucks and tractors driving around you may feel the same.
Please come by and look at this horrible rape of one of the oldest groves of trees in Burlingame. These trees were part of a "Forestation Plan". Before there were any trees in this area at all.
What a mess.
Posted by: Holy Roller | January 01, 2008 at 02:48 AM
As a result of the toxic remediation project at Burlingame High School, an arborist was hired by the school district. He conducted a detailed evaluation. His findings were presented to representatives from the District, City of Burlingame and DTSC.
The arborist is very familiar with Burlingame and determined that seven pine trees were severely diseased. There was absolutely nothing that could be done to eliminate their disease and rejuvinate the sick trees back to health. In fact the condition of the trees created an unsafe condition that could result in them falling over at any time. With the removal of toxic soil, it was highly likely the trees would die immediately and fall over. In an effort to safeguard the community, the seven trees are being removed.
With the removal of the toxic soil th
Posted by: EM | January 02, 2008 at 01:22 AM
The Remedial Action Workplan (RAW) was made available for a 30 day public comment period by the Department of Toxic Substance Control (DTSC). In the report the seven trees that were to be removed were identified along with their location. The pine trees have pine pitch canker. There is no cure for this disease.
If anyone would like to review the RAW it is available at the public library or come by me office at 640 North Delaware.
Elizabeth McManus
Posted by: EM | January 02, 2008 at 01:52 AM
First of all, if The City of Burlingame knew about this tree removal why did Randy Schwartz PR director, state, to the newspaper "I had no idea of that"? (tree removal at BHS")
Regarding the disease these tree have-Pitch Canker Disease, caused by fungus Fusarium subglutinans f. sp. there is NO relevance between PCD and a tree falling. As a matter of fact every Monterey Pine in Wasington Park has PCD.
Every Redwood at Burlingame High School has the same disease-Pitch Canker Disease.
Every Redwood in Washington Park has Pitch Canker Disease.
So, are the people of Burlingame aware of the removal of all these trees?
The Scamore trees on the pathway leading from Carolyn Ave to the steps of BHS all have the disease called Anthracnose. There is no viable treatment for that.
The Camphor Trees on Burlingame Ave are all dying due to sidewalk removal and replacement because of the roots being removed. Within 5 years there will not be one single Camphor on that street.
The City of Burlingame is in the process of removing many Anthracnose infected trees(Sycamore), as well as drasticlly "topping" some Sycamores in order to prolong their inevitable death.
What is happening, in my humble opinion is that the City of Burlingame Council, does not believe the Citizens can handle the facts that present themselves regarding infrastruture, and have no vision for the future.
Politics, Politics, Politics.
If anyone is concerned that my comments are not true, please check it out.
Dana Yates, if you want to ask me about anything please do so at this site.
Posted by: Holy Roller | January 02, 2008 at 02:36 AM
Who is Elizabeth McManus?
Who does Elizabeth McManus represent?
Posted by: Holy Roller | January 02, 2008 at 02:41 AM
Google Elizabeth McManus and she is featured in many newspaper articles about SMUHSD.
The minutes of the City Council meeting of September 17, 2007 state: "Elizabeth McManus, Associate Superintendent of the San Mateo Union High School District (SMUHSD)"
Posted by: | January 02, 2008 at 02:52 PM
I did not see any trees removed today.
The tree work I saw today was removal of wood and branchs from the work done past.
I hope other people care about this de-forestation of an Historical Asset.
What a shame no council people have commented.
Posted by: Holy Roller | January 03, 2008 at 03:52 AM
Everyone has forgoten about "Tom"
There has been no "reforstation".
Last week I observed Cal-Trans personal measuring all the Eucaliptus trees between Penninsula and Trousdale.
There were 5 people mesureing all the trees. They were there doing something,"important".
If any council members read this site, it should be no problem to answer this question...
What is Cal- Trans doing measuring all the trees on El Camino from Pennisula to Trousdale?
Posted by: Holy Roller | February 03, 2008 at 05:21 AM
What the heck happened to this web site?
Posted by: Holy Roller | February 04, 2008 at 01:45 AM