Bye Bye Eucalyptus?

The on-going saga of the "renewal" of El Camino Real took another turn as the Citizens Environmental Council bought off on the plan to take out 85 Eucs along the main thoroughfare through town--the signature feature of B'game. Councilmembers Beach and Brownrigg are the designated electeds on this Council. The key part of the Daily Journal story about the decision is

There was limited feedback from community members during the meeting

Whereas Zoom-dom has made some things more accessible, it seems to me it has stymied the kind of public input that happens when a bunch of people show up live in City Council chambers and look officials in the eye.  We've covered this on-going ECR issue in the past; last January here and in 2018 here.  The fragility of the traffic lights and how we handle that now is here.  The Caltrans public comment period closes tonight, but that is far from the end of the story.  My guess is most of the people in town have no idea that some CEC would agree to take out the historically-designated tree grove.  The story isn't over til the chainsaws roar.

As if that isn't enough, the bike advocates want to take away at least one lane!  The resident twenty-something who has lived here for about a minute and half but doesn't like anything as it is, weighed in

After the discussion, Burlingame resident Madeline Frechette expressed her displeasure with the nature of the discussion, which excluded what will happen between the curbs.  “The exclusion of themes like rapid transit or safe bike infrastructure is confusing,” she said in an email. “Certainly what happens to the tree line and sidewalks could have ramifications for the roadway, and we are at a point in history where we cannot afford to selectively prioritize concerns about greenery aesthetics.”

That last bit is classic doubletalk.  She's the one doing the "selective prioritizing".  More importantly, she is apparently blissfully unaware that there are dedicated north and south bike lanes that parallel ECR a couple of blocks away on California and Carolan that are much closer to two forms of public transit.  Nor has she any consideration of the impact on police, fire and ambulance access of shutting down anything "between the curbs" on our busy artery.  These Eucs offer more than "greenery aesthetics" if one remembers our history like this incident in 2009.

Comments

[[email protected]]

Within the last 25 years, the Removal of these "Stately" has been going to happen.

[Young Grasshopper]

Eucalyptus trees are invasive-they limit the ability for other native plants to grow and foster thus also affecting the entire ecosystem.

The true look of Burlingame relies on the native species...

[JP]

They ain't inhibiting anything on the side of El Camino but speeding.

[Everything's Jake]

Although these trees are non indigenous, they are historical to Burlingame. They provide greenery and places for birds to perch. When they die, replace them with redwood trees--but only when they die.

[Paloma Ave]

Major whiner and complainer, Madeline Fres-nut, posted an article to the San Mateo Daily Journal on December 3, 2020.

The San Mateo Daily Journal then posted my response, which in turn prompted a response from Mike Dumdum.

I then sent in the following (which has yet to be published)

I see my response to Madeline Fres-nut has upset Mr. Mike Dumdum. By the way Maddy is from of the city of Plattsburgh, NY, average house price of $190k. Mr. Dumdum is from Pittsfield, NY, where the average price of house in $170k.

I want to sincerely thank the both of you for coming to the City of Burlingame and constantly complaining about how our city is not the way you would like it to be.

Dumdum complains that "The sky is falling", maintains we need to have more people on bicycles and must pack and stack housing or else 'Our world will cease to exist'. (Alarmist much?)

Then there is Maddy. She also wants more bike lanes and a change to our zoning laws, because Burlingame is a racist and segregated city.

Didn't either of you think your hometowns were worth saving? Apparently not.

So you both moved west, in order to whine and complain about our awful way of life here.

The two of you alarmist malcontents NEED to move to where you will be happy! That apparently is not here.

By the way, I moved here in 1981 and I have enjoyed living here for 40 years.

I again would like to suggest both Fres-nut and Dumdum find a more urban area, where they will be happy.

[Barking Dog]

85. Wow, big number. Unfortunate for the history and canopy entrance to Burlingame. Hopefully a better compromise can be negotiated. Totally agree Joe that Zoom vs live public input is a big factor. The human element that is needed in these forums is eliminated. All according to plan some might say...

Bus and bike only lanes on ECR, advocacy craziness and selfishness. Road diet? Give me a break.

Better bus service to get around Burlingame....bring back the 34D line. Pick up at the train station, down California, left on Grove, up Hillside to Skyline, down Trousdale, back down California to the train station. Was my kids transportation around town if not their bicycle. Living on the east side of town it got them to Village Park, Ray Park, Cuernavaca, Franklin Field and BIS. Not to mention the 5L and 5M to run them up and down El Camino. Also the 43G. Pick me up at the corner of Channing and Howard, pick my brother in law up on Humboldt(in front of SMHS baseball field, he lives on S. Idaho) and take us to Bay Meadows. Place a few bets, have more than a few drinks. Drop him off in front of the courthouse on Humboldt and me off right in front of Victoria Park on Howard. 20 min max each way. Kids took it to Hillsdale Mall religiously.

This Madeline character is a real peach. Hopefully the powers that be, keep her away from all and any city commissions so she doesn't have a voice at the table. Keep the ankle biter barking on the sidelines.

Dumdum is licking his chops to see where the new district lines are going to be drawn to find his new address. I did recently learn that he is employed again. Summit Charter Schools. Data Director. Job he had before being unemployed during his campaign run. Publicly funded Charter Schools hiring during a financially crumbling pandemic. Awesome.

[Barking Dog]

https://mobile.twitter.com/MadelineNotes/status/1347013904640090113

Child

[[email protected]]

The City of Burlingame has been considering options. The State of Ca. owns the Avenue/ECR. The trees may last a minimum of 60 years longer.(Everything has a life span)
are we really prepared to have ECR resemble Daly City, SSF, San Bruno, Millbrae, San Mateo, and down the Peninsula?
I Hope Not.
We can learn to live with this Mid-Peninsula "Avenue of Giants." These Trees represent The City of Burlingame. There are many other options available if the Community gets behind it. (With Leadership and Money.) These Trees are an irreplaceable Treasure. Liability comes in many situations. Burlingame can do Better.

[Libertarian]

Twelve year old Maddy has spoken regarding the bicycle fascists requirements for a major State owned thoroughfare.
"greenery aesthetics" must override all else.
Whatever that means.
This would almost be funny if people like immature Maddy were not serious, in their own narrow and groupthink minds.

[MV]

I don’t understand the ugly name calling.

When you think about it El Camino while it’s striped for four lanes, doesn’t really work like that. The left lane is often taken up by left turns at the intersections or to one of the many residential driveways along ECR. We’re often lucky that the driver ahead of us actually signaled more than 3 seconds before they’re to make the turn. So it’s not really a full lane.

The right lane is taken up by someone slowing to make a right turn, a stopped Samtrans bus, a fedex or UPS can because there’s no place to stop. Or a broken down vehicle. Or a utility truck. Or a flooding or an extruded tree root.

ECR, to borrow the current parlance, is really a 4-lane RINO. Four lane Road, In Name Only. It really functions like three. A turbulent 3 at that, because we all have to make all these lane changes to get thru.

If we’re honest, this is really the starting point. Ideas to improve it is to have cut-ins so there are at least intermittent shoulders for deliveries, emergencies or util work. And strategic NLTs and smarter signals.

Let the name-calling resume.

[Handle Bard]

As a bike fan for years in Burlingame I can say with 100% certainty you should not be biking on El Camino. There is no reason for it. Take Balboa or Cortez and enjoy the neighborhood. And watch the green painted lanes on Carolan especially if there is dew or rain. Whoever designed that isn't really a biker.

As a driver I will choose a turbulent 3 over a clogged up 2 any day. If UPS trucks are a problem then ticket the hell out of them and make them use vans that fit in the driveways.

Problem solved.

[[email protected]]

A City of Burlingame fulltime employee lost a leg at that intersection @ 5 years ago.

[Joe]

Which intersection and how, holly?

[[email protected]]

Riding a Motorcycle. Middle of the day.
Floribunda/ECR.
A car made a left turn in front of the motorcycle. It happened about 6 years ago.

[Christopher Cooke]

On saving the Eucalyptus trees, I disagree. They are non natives that pose significant hazards. I am all for replacing them with trees, but let’s plant native species more suited to a busy roadway.

[MBGA]

This/our country isn't even willing to defend the statues and reputations of the people that founded it. The argument that these destructive eucalyptus trees are somehow important to our heritage is laughable at this point.

[Peter Garrison]

The eucalyptus trees provide a “sense of place.” It’s one of those esthetics that folks either get or don’t. It’s not exactly like whether one appreciates or dismisses out of hand modern art or Snoop Dog.

Sort of like the esthetic sense you have when you are “home” or feel a comforting shiver of dèjá vu in a place that strangely “feels like home.”

My ancient aunt, when learning of our home in Burlingame, exclaimed, “Oh, the city with those beautiful, tall eucalyptus trees!”

Look down the road a bit either north of south and you could be anywhere with urban sprawl and lack of civic foresight.

The eucalyptus can be inspected, trimmed, cleaned and thinned. To lose a majority of them would be sad.

Now, here’s my prediction: With the lack of in-person dialog with Caltrans due to Covid, the months of mind-numbing ennui, and the ever-present interest in getting from point A to B faster, the trees will be removed, pot holes filled and drainage improved. I believe that the road improvements could be done and many trees saved but it would take more work and more money.

[Just Visiting]

For the activists, whether biking people or NIMBY's, there is never enough of what they want.

A question many of the pro-eucalyptus people don't want to answer is how many tens of millions Burlingame should set aside for the litigation that comes with injuries and deaths?

And that's just on the catastrophic side of things. How about just how willing they are to have dysfunctional sidewalks, roads, and drains because of those trees and their shallow roots?

Don't complain about the state of ECR, its drainage, and its sidewalks, then also fight the removal of the trees that are the main cause of those problems.

No one hates trees (though it seems some activists are surprisingly unconcerned about them), but safer trees seem like a good idea.

[MBGA]

Not a big fan of modern art. I can recommend a book I read back in the 70s by Tom Wolfe called The Painted Word.
Snoop dog - well, yeah, I couldn't care less about. I really should, but really don't, feel sorry for people that call that crap music.

But I do care about other things that provide me a sense of order and grounding and these trees that I live close enough to them for them to block out light at times of the day are destructive, and an unfunded liability, and fugly.

A sense of place? I suspect under the coming regime we will have to find our place in the world in many new and approved ways. We can discuss it someday at the Peoples Center over a cup of grasshopper juice.

[Peter Garrison]

Like the play on words! “...new and approved” instead of new and improved.

I think you’re right on this.

[Greta Stunnedbird]

Q: A question many of the pro-eucalyptus people don't want to answer is how many tens of millions Burlingame should set aside for the litigation that comes with injuries and deaths?

A: No addition insurance needed. They are no more dangerous than anything else in town and if the drainage is fixed (really not that hard). Been here 30 years and one has fallen probably because it wasn't taken care of. They save more lives than they threaten.

Q: And that's just on the catastrophic side of things. How about just how willing they are to have dysfunctional sidewalks, roads, and drains because of those trees and their shallow roots?

A: You are no tree guy. Sidewalks are an easy fix if they just raised sections up. The roots are not the problem in the road. Caltrans is the problem. Drainage needs to be a joint effort with Caltrans and the city. Some of the problem is the feeder drainage from the west side.

Question back: Are you prepared for this job to take YEARS if they decide to cut 85 eucs? Years.

[[email protected]]

Cal Trans owns the trees.
Do not allow pedestrian access to Historic site.
Let it go. The Trees will stay.

[Just Visiting]

A tree fell in a San Mateo County's Memorial park, severely injuring one person. The lawsuit over that resulted in a $47.5 million settlement.

A branch fell from a tree in Washington Park this summer, killing one and severely injuring another. One has to wonder what that will cost--but do you know what the City's insurance policy limits are? I don't, but we can be reasonably sure that they are much lower than $45 million.

A eucalyptus fell into an apartment building along ECR within the last few years, narrowly missing a small child.

The risks associated with those trees are well known. It is niave to believe insurance will protect the city. But more importantly, how much more important are the trees to you than the person that one might fall on?

I love trees, and want trees on ECR, but not the ones that make managing the road--and safety--virtually impossible. Not all trees are created equally. As beautiful as they are, the eucalyptus are a menace and a safety hazard. We can do better.

And no, "raising the sidewalks" is not a reasonable engineering solution.

And yes, I am prepared for the work to take years. That's what significant infrastructure projects take. Not doing the work would leave ECR as is, which is unsafe, and getting worse.

[Greta Stunnedbird]

You are tree stupicd. Wait, you are worse. a clueless axe man. Leave the eucs alone. The tree in Washington park was a PINE! HELLO. If a pit bull bites you do you kill poodles.

[[email protected]]

Don't worry anyone.
Nothing, Nada, Never will happen to those Trees that costs' money, no matter where it comes from.
Dear Greta, how are you darling?
Should anything that causes "Risk" be eliminated from Society?