SLO City Council was too quick to condemn this mighty oak | Opinion

SLO Rep’s reputation ‘tarnished’

When the San Luis Obispo Repertory Theater struck a deal with the city of San Luis Obispo to lease public land at Monterey and Nipomo streets for $1 per year for 99 years, they signed a lease. With regard to a beautiful coast live oak on the site — a tree owned by we the people — the lease states “SLO REP shall take all reasonable efforts to preserve, protect and maintain the large oak tree ...”

Despite promising, in writing, to “preserve, protect and maintain” this tree, last week SLO REP went before the City Council seeking permission to remove this much-cherished tree rather than preserve and protect it during theater construction.

The excuse was provided by a private arborist report solicited and paid for by SLO REP that, instead of laying out how to preserve and protect during construction — what one would expect at this stage of planning — devoted itself to rationalizations for the tree’s removal. Key among those was the eye-popping allegation that construction would disturb or destroy 86% to 95% of the tree’s roots, thus dooming it.

Of course that number’s malarkey, and could only result if the client made no effort to preserve and protect.

City staff, demonstrating their perennial disloyalty to we the people who pay their salaries, took SLO REP’s side, and badgered the council with “it-can’t-be-saved” until four council members caved and voted to execute the tree based on false charges of non-viability. This is a sad, dumb conclusion since in all likelihood the tree would survive construction just fine, and still be around when SLO REP’s 99-year lease ends.

And thus SLO city’s massive, years-long arborcide continues to unfold. It is a scandal the city will not face. But it must. The council must not let this SLO REP TreeGate unfold. It must immediately reconsider and withdraw permission for removal. It must enforce the lease.

As for SLO REP, their reputation has been tarnished by their bad behavior. Their board must reconsider how to proceed. They have no right to execute our tree. I request them to call off the tree butchers and make every effort to do as they promised in order to get their lease — to preserve and protect this wonderful public tree.

Richard Schmidt

San Luis Obispo

Rev up the chain saws!

City Council, please spare me your “mournful tears” for the tree that is being slaughtered to “make way” for the “progress” at Monterey and Nipomo streets.

I didn’t realize how much “caring” the City Council had expressed for the loss of the tree until I read The Tribune article, “Uproot a tree — or upend a new theater?”.

I was particularly impressed by Ms. Shoresman’s comment that “we are a council and community that cares for our trees very much.” Well, I’d hate to see how you’d treat our trees if you didn’t care for them “very much.” I mean, you can’t care much less than by killing them, can you? No, wait: You could torture them first, right?

I’m reminded of what W.C. Fields said when he was asked if he liked children: “Certainly,” he said, “as long as they’re properly cooked.”

Ms. Marx, I’m sure the loss of beauty, shade, oxygen production and habitat accommodation that this slaughter entails will be significantly mitigated by your “symbolic vote” regarding a “tragedy of errors.”

And Mr. Boswell, I love your reference to “long-term planning.” You mean, like the “planning” you’ve done for the series of gargantuan buildings that will eventuate along Monterey between California and Santa Rosa, now that you’ve built that monstrosity of an eyesore at California and Monterey? You can’t deny the next blight-building, now that you’ve okayed this one, right?

Onward! Bring out the chainsaws! (I wish I had bought stock in the company that supplies the city with chainsaws and wood chippers.)

Will Powers

San Luis Obispo