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SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2016VOLUME 10 NO. 23SIERRA MADRE POLICE BLOTTER SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016 VOLUME 10 NO. 34 SIERRA MADRE LENDS ASSISTANCE TO BLUE CUT FIRE FIGHTING EFFORTS Sierra Madre Water Tender 41 was dispatched to the Blue Cut Fire located in the Cajon Pass (San Bernardino County) on Wednesday, August 17th. Captain Richard Snyder and Engineer Ed Hughes attended the briefing and were assigned to Division Alpha supplying water to a US Forest Service Strike Team and a CAL Fire Strike Team. Photo courtesy City of Sierra Madre It was almost five years ago (December 1, 2011), when tragedy struck the City of Sierra Madre and did millions of dollars of damage to structures. Fortunately, there was no loss of human life but unfortunately hundreds of trees were lost. Trees that for the most part have not been replaced and have altered the beauty of Sierra Madre somewhat. Far too many Sierra Madreans did not realize until they were gone how important to the ambience of this city trees are. They took for granted the seemingly endless tree lined streets until Mother Nature removed them from sight. What followed was a greater appreciation for every single leaf on every single tree in the city. (When the Pepper Tree in Kersting Court had to be removed, there was a gathering that was just short of a funeral to mourn the natural landmark.) Since the windstorm, no longer was the Tree Commission (now the Energy, Environment and Natural Resource Committee - EENR) and their like-minded friends the only champions of protecting what was left of the town’s trees. Support now comes from everywhere. Case in point: The Ficus Tree in front of 85 S. Baldwin. This particular tree, pictured left, has grown beyond the confines of the sidewalk and has created a dilemma for tree lovers and city officials alike. On July 29, 2016, the Sierra Madre Department of Public Works posted notice on the tree that indicated it was scheduled to be removed due to “continuous damage to the surrounding hardscape”. What followed was a flurry of activity in an effort to save the tree. Because the tree is so close to the Post Office the notice no doubt attracted more than the normal amount of attention, upsetting more than a few residents. They want the city to find alternatives that will save the tree. In a telephone conversation with Public Works Director Bruce Inman, he explained that the current state of the tree and the sidewalk pose a public safety hazard. The potential hazard is not limited to people with disabilities, but also the general public as the sidewalk currently is quite uneven. Inman noted that the public has until August 31, 2016 to file an appeal and hopefully that will help the city come up with a manageable alternative. One couple on E. Alegria does intend to do just that. In a communication with the Mountain Views News the following options were suggested: Option 1. Secure a Second Opinion. Though the City›s regular consulting Arborist is a certified and responsible professional, his analysis is necessarily incomplete, because a full sense of any possible root pruning to alleviate buckled sidewalk could only be made upon temporary removal of the damaged sections of sidewalk slabs. A Second Opinion from a certified Arborist at that point seems in order. It took 24,000 days, more or less, for this tree to reach its mature splendor, but it would take less than 24 hours to remove it. The only way to truly gauge the root structures would be to have the City lift the two sidewalk slabs in question. Given the two large trees that sit on private property at 85 S. Baldwin, we might, in fact, also discover upon lifting the sidewalk slabs that the buckling has been caused or partially caused by the roots of those trees. But for complete diagnosis, access underneath the slabs is essential. If root pruning is impossible without destabilizing the ficus or killing it outright, and the two Arborists were in agreement on this analysis, see Option 2: Option 2. The City could try to seek an easement from the property owners to create a gentle loop in a new area of sidewalk that would curve away from the root area and leave a smooth, new path for walkers and those in wheelchairs. There is City precedent for such an action step that would protect the public safety, comply with ADA access criteria, and leave the Ficus in place. Even allowing for the time and expertise of the City Attorney and others in securing an easement, as well as costs of diagnostic removal of sidewalk slabs and getting a second opinion from a certified Arborist, the City would still save considerable costs, compared to the safe removal of this large tree. If the appeal is filed in a timely manner, the issue will come before the EENR commission at its September 21st meeting. For more information regarding the removal of the tree and/ or the appeals process, contact James Carlson at City Hall - (626) 355-7135. S. Henderson/MVNews RESIDENTS RALLY TO SAVE YET ANOTHER TREE Sierra Madre Woman’s Club At the rear of the Essick House 550 West Sierra Madre Boulevard One block East of Michillinda Thursday, September 1 . 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Quality clothing for all the family, jewelry; kitchenware, glassware, linens; toys; art, bric-a-brac, books, media, stationery; fabric remnants, craft supplies, decorations; workshop and garden items and More! For Information call 626-355-7739 sierramadrewomansclub Shop proceeds support local charities Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Mountain Views News 80 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. #327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.604.4548 www.mtnviewsnews.com |