Save Our Beautiful Palm Trees! Help Stop the Removal of 50+ Palm Trees.

The following is written by Sandra Beges, certified Landscape Designer and One Marina Home Owner, who consulted with 3 Palm Tree Experts:

One Marina is proposing the removal of 50+ Palm Trees. The aesthetic value of our community's feel will be compromised with the loss of these trees, particularly losing the architectural feel, and graceful character that these trees provide. The cost value of these trees being removed is estimated over $100,000 and not to be dismissed. Since they are either at maturity or very close to it, each palm has a value of $2,000 according to my research. 

Instead of removing these beautiful palms, we propose a handful of palms that are growing near to or on the lower portions of the balconies can either be pruned or moved several feet away, if the homeowner requests it. Consulting arborists would be able to advise on this issue.

Our goal is to PRESERVE and PROTEST our valuable plant specimens, to avoid any extreme measures thus affecting the property value of One Marina, and to avoid this costly project when less costly solutions are available.

Please sign this petition to voice your support to save our beautiful Palm Trees!!

More information is provided below for your review, and you can view a photo album of our beautiful palms here (feel free to upload your own photos to the album):https://photos.app.goo.gl/g6FsHAGoc6bmpxnSA 

The removal of 52 Palm trees (Phase 1 only) is extraordinarily excessive, and frankly shocking. In my professional career, I have never encountered any tree removal of this magnitude. It is a rare event. Tree removals are typically done when a tree is diseased, poses a safety hazard due to tree structural issues, has created structural damage to a building, or is planted in the wrong location due to homeowner's naivety in their selection of tree specimen.

Landscape Design and Architectural businesses put great thought and research into selecting the proper plant material for a project. This is to avoid any future culpability in the removal of a tree(s) due to incorrect placement. These factors are taken very seriously on large scale projects such as One Marina.

The communication we have received from One Marina states the main reasons for removal is they were planted to close to the buildings, and rub against the buildings and windows, and are growing into/under balconies. Most of this is factually incorrect. The 3 palm experts I have consulted with suggest a planting for these palms to be anywhere from right next to the exterior wall up to 5' distance. These experts also say the ideal planting distance is 3' on center from exterior wall. This is to achieve the desired sweeping and framing effect of this palm species. One Marina's palms are planted minimum 3' on center from exterior walls, and in some cases even a greater distance. The building sweep is exactly why these palms are chosen for placement next to buildings and entryways. This sweep effect softens a buildings walls and is intentional.  One Marina's palms definitely meet or exceed the requirements for placement planting, or exceed them according to industry standards.

The Landscape Designers chose the Windmill Palm well, and it is performing as they intended, ideally planted 3' on center from the buildings exterior walls (the caliper of the trunk at maturity is 8-10"). The selection also provides vertical interest, sculptural elements needed in a landscape, softening of the buildings, creation of psychological space between units, in some locations the screening of views which some homeowners might prefer. Also, this species of palm has a growth rate in the SF Bay Area of 10'-20' tall per the palm experts and my research, and it appears the palms are at or very close to their maturity.

As stated above, we strongly believe the aesthetic value of our community's feel will be compromised with the loss of these trees, particularly losing the architectural feel, and graceful character that these trees provide. The cost value of these trees is also not to be dismissed. Since they are either at maturity or very close to it, each palm has a value of $2,000 according to my research. The cost value of these trees (in Phase 1) as they stand is over $100,000.

Instead of removing these beautiful palms, we propose a handful of palms that are growing near to or on the lower portions of the balconies can either be pruned or moved several feet away, if the homeowner requests it. Consulting arborists would be able to advise on this issue.