Falling eucalyptus trees crushed a SLO County home. What can be done to make them safe?
Jeff and Devonna Miller were sitting at their dining room table in their Arroyo Grande home when they heard the crack, loud as a gunshot.
Gathering their things, the residents of The Pike — a eucalyptus-lined stretch of road that runs from South 13th Street in Oceano to South Halcyon Road in Arroyo Grande — hurried out to find its source in the midst of a storm that swept through San Luis Obispo County on the Feb. 4.
What they found shocked them: Multiple downed or damaged eucalyptus trees — some more than 100 feet tall — had taken out around 11 utility poles in the area, crushing a nearby home and cutting power to the block.
Jeff said this is hardly the first time a storm has caused damage, pointing to a similar event in February 2017 that toppled a handful of trees and damaged a nearby 7 Eleven.
However, he said this is the first time he’s seen his neighbors try to do something about it.
With residents fed up with the damage, Jeff said the neighborhood has explored getting in touch with the county and city to have the trees removed or trimmed back so they don’t threaten residential property.
“I would like to see the trees lowered to the point where if they fell they wouldn’t hit my house,” Jeff said. “Right now, if a tree fell, it would come through at least the middle of our house, maybe to the far end.”
The problem is, most of the trees are on private property, and trimming or even cutting down something as large as a eucalyptus can be very expensive.
So who’s ultimately responsible?
The Tribune looked into the issue as part of its new Reality Check series.
Who’s responsible for maintaining trees on The Pike?
The trees line the south side of The Pike at the Arroyo Grande end of the road, but city manager Matt Downing said they are not within the city’s jurisdiction.
PG&E, which maintains power lines on the opposite site of the street, is also not typically responsible for tree removal or maintenance there, spokesperson Carina Corral told The Tribune.
The southern side of The Pike is county jurisdiction, Downing said, and many of the trees are privately owned by The Temple of the People, a small religious group that incorporates teachings about the value of art, science and social equality.
Rick London, the temple’s sixth guardian-in-chief, said many of the eucalyptus trees that line The Pike predate even the community of Halcyon and its temple, which was built in 1903.
He said neighbor concerns with the height of the trees is not new, citing news articles from the late 1960s and early ‘70s outlining similar fears of trees falling on nearby properties.
As most of the trees sit on temple property, the temple is responsible for upkeep, but given the unique placement and age of the trees, London said the temple will need help keeping them in healthy shape to prevent further collapses.
London said that since the Feb. 4 storm, the temple has been involved in talks facilitated by District 4 Supervisor Jimmy Paulding and including PG&E, the city of Arroyo Grande and neighbors with the goal of figuring out the best way to maintain the trees.
“Even though they’re Halcyon trees, I believe we need more community support for maintaining them,” London told The Tribune. “The trees were here before anybody else was here.”
What can be done to keep homes safe?
Paulding said discussions between the county, city and residents have been positive so far, and he hopes a shared solution will emerge in coming talks.
“My hope is that there is a way through grants, through partnership opportunities, that we can work together to have an understanding as to how that maintenance is done here in the short term and in the long term,” Paulding said.
As a first step, Paulding said, an arborist who was included in the discussions recommended clearing the vegetation and debris that has built up around the base of the trees, which can keep the healthy trees in better shape for longer.
He said a community cleanup event would be a good way to get nearby neighbors involved in the maintenance of the trees following a more thorough health inspection.
“It is my view that it’s the private property owners’ responsibility to maintain the trees, but there would be a cost savings to the city, to PG&E and other utilities, if we can avoid incidents like the one that occurred back on Feb. 4 in the future,” Paulding told The Tribune. “Luckily, there were no fatalities, but the reality is, as you’ve heard from folks, people are living in fear.”
London said he was receptive to help with the trees but noted there is only so much that can be done for eucalyptus trees of that size and age.
“Even a healthy tree can fall in a storm,” London said. “We haven’t really respected Mother Nature.”
This story was originally published March 30, 2024 at 10:00 AM.
