Historic Euc Casualty

This Christmas Day storm didn't pack that much wind especially compared to the prior couple of storms last week.  But the heavy rainfall (6+ inches or 230% of typical season to date rainfall) can play havoc with some of our historic eucalyptus trees' roots.  The key seems to be how well the drainage is near the trunk and the key to that is sometimes how well Caltrans maintains the drains.

Here's a historic euc casualty being cleared away today just south of Sanchez Ave.  And below that is one of the now common signs on El Camino.

Comments

[Holyroller]

I hope nobody got killed.
That is really scarey.
How did the Huge Tree get cleaned up?

[jennifer]

Thank goodness nobody hurt, and the tree seems to have been quickly hauled over to the side of the road for evtl. clean-up. We could use a dry spell (or two) to give the soil a chance to dry out; the other tree roots in the grove should help to absorb excessive water, too.

I don't remember so much rain and wind in the Bay Area since the 1980s. All things considered, we've been really fortunate with calamities, at least so far. After several very dry years, we do need the rain.

[Greg]

It's because we don't pay enough taxes. If we paid more, then the state would have money to maintain our drainage system around our roads.

Hopefully, there will be some tax increases on the next ballot.

[Holyroller]

Unfortunetly, the incident will be forgotten in a few days.
Does the City pay for this problem, does the state?
Who ever did were GREAT! Thank you.
It has really rained a lot in the last couple of weeks. More than I can remember since to 1980's too.
Doesn't a creek/drainage canal run directly under that tree?
What a Miricle it was that nobody got hurt.

[hillsider]

It is a state highway. The state should pay but will they? Not if they are busy figuring out how to add more to the unions retirement plans. The shame of it is the guys out there clearing this tree are the ones who will get screwed becuase the old guys ahead of them will be getting all the gold. They get squat and dont even know it.

[Holyroller]

Re: Gregs comment.
First of all, how do people live on ECR_I think most of them are renting.
Howmowners on Easton must get scared out of their wits when they see this type of tree accident.
ECR between Trousdale and Penninsula are the worst section of State Hwy 85.
I am afraid for the people at bus stops, and anyone walking on the sidewalks. The flooding. How do you balance the value the tree bring, vs.
Public Safety
ADA- American Disability Act
Flooding
Maintenance Cost
I wonder if someone out here knows, or can find the monies paid out to pedestrians, car accidents, damage to homes, and business that have a direct realationship to the trees on El Camino Real in Burlingame?
They are an asset to Burlingame.
At what cost?

[Leave the Trees Alone]

Where did you get the idea that the trees are a threat to people at the bus stops. The opposite is true. Once a decade or more one of them falls over and you probably get plenty of warning as a pedestrian. Every damn day cars are buzzing by on El Camino and the tree are the only barrier we have. Come stand at the bus stop with me for 20 minutes and you will see.

[Holyroller]

Standing at those Sam trans Stops are very dangerous. Not because of the trees. It is the humps in the road. The flooding. The really narrow, broken sidewalks. Inches away from cars that drive at the minimum,45, up to 55MPH.
Have you ever noticed while walking along ECR that if you look across the street, viewing another pedesdrian across from you, you can only see their upper torso or head?
I am hoping that Cal Trans or City of Burlingame will provide a Public Tree Failure Report.
Was it the wind, the rain, the roots, construction? I have seen that all the trees are marked with metal tags with numbers attached to the trees.
What do those tags represent?
Anybody know?

[Leave the Trees Alone]

You don't know what you are talking about. Stop dissing the trees. They are the best thing about El Camino. I look across the street all the time and I see people's feet easy. Stop it.

[Holyroller]

Those Trees are one of the best thing about Burlingame.
Has anyone ever considered what would happen to home prices if those Trees had to be removed? Easton Ave too.
I love those trees and believe they belong here.

[Anne]

We love ALL of our beautiful trees! Holy raises an excellent point on the value of our trees. Many of us bought houses on pretty streets specifically because we loved the trees.

Sadly, Burlingame Parks Dept, in conjunction with the Public Works Dept, has been ripping street trees out with careless abandon in the last few months. We all recognize the need for sidewalk repair, but the most recent round of tree removal has been a disaster-poor planning and minimal communication with residents.

What will happen to the character of our streets and town?

[hillsider]

Would anyone like to bet how long it will take Caltrans to get rid of the tree?

[Anne]

I'm sure it won't be fast, but the "quality" of work I've seen for tree removal at the hands of our Parks and Public Works department would not be any better. City of Trees? If only.

[alittlebird]

Yes, Anne, I was wondering why so many sidewalk trees have been removed lately. Those I have seen, have NOTHING to do with sidewalk repair, it seems. Just random removals. Why isn't the council up on this, or if they are, why aren't they letting the public know about it. I know our present mayor is no fan of trees, but seriously.............

[Anne]

I have noticed the same thing! Tree questions are handled by the Parks department; I'd suggest you drop them a line. You can get e-mail addresses through the Burlingame.org website.

Copying the mayor and vice-mayor may be helpful (can't hurt, right?).

[jennifer]

Also keep in mind that Burlingame has over 15,000 public trees, including those in the historic grove on El Camino Real. That's more than one public tree per every resident--(as opposed to a big city like San Francisco, where it was recently proudly publicized that there is one public tree for every 6.5 residents). So, I think our Parks Dept. does tremendous job looking after all these trees--while Caltrans has been delinquent in this capacity.

The public trees are becoming ever more important, as many of the large, privately owned trees have disappeared in the last decade or so.

[Anne]

Hmmm, Jennifer, sounds like you haven't had one of the (beautiful, healthy) public trees on your property removed. I have.

Check out the carnage/damage to public trees on lower Burlingame Avenue, Bernal and Balboa, just to name a few.

[jennifer]

I am not familiar with trees disappearing in the Easton Addition, but in the lower Burlingame Avenue area, I know there have been many once beautiful Camphor trees removed that are sick; there are good sized replacements going in- I think they are sunset maples.

It is horrible to see trees removed as it completely changes the landscape, I agree. Every time a buzz saw goes off, I'm the first one to go out and look what is going on in my neighborhood, believe me. I've called Parks many times to find out if removals were properly vetted with permits.

The point is that I've found the Parks Dept. to be very responsive whenever there are tree issues: staking, lack of water, suffocation by ivy, or even vandalism of saplings- a particularly aggravating problem in my neighborhood--and a total waste of resources. The next season, they are out there planting replacements. That is pretty special, I think.

Our street trees are really the "face" of Burlingame.

[Anne]

Jennifer, we are in complete agreement about our trees-they really are the heart and soul of our wonderful city. The Parks Dept has done a lot of good work in our town.

Except, of course, in those cases where the Parks Dept staff are the "vandals" - removing the beautiful, healthy trees, apparently without a second thought. As a long time Parks and Rec supporter, I was recently so very surprised, and so very disappointed by their cavalier and disrespectful behavior towards both Burlingame citizens and Burlingame trees.

You might feel differently if you heard the buzz saw and saw the destruction of a beautiful, healthy, 60-year-old tree in front of your own home.

However, I do have a good feeling about the new head of the Parks Dept (only one year into her tenure). I am hopeful that she can rattle the P & R Old Boys' Network and work with citizens, rather than alienate them.

[Joe]

Here's news of another downed Euc:

This message is to inform you that on the 800 block of California Ave (between Majilla Ave and Palm Dr)in Burlingame, a large Eucalyptus tree has fallen down. This fallen tree is spanning across California Ave and traffic will be diverted around it while crews work to remove this tree. Crews are expected to work for a period of 1 to 2 hours to remove this tree with workers starting at approximately 6:45 pm on April 14,2013.