Parkside Trees: Whatever Is Most Cost Effective?

Council Member Asher:

'Let's Do Whatever Is Most Cost Effective'

Council Members Davis & Brinkman:

'Let's Not'

Opinion
The Emeryville city council finally resolved the contentious Parkside tree issue last Tuesday night and their vote serves as a stand-in for all that ails our town; another reminder, as if you needed it, of who gets served by our City Hall and who gets left wanting.
Readers will remember the developer of the Parkside condominium project wants to cut down all the street trees surrounding the project site but residents rallied and convinced the council to change their earlier vote and save nine large mature trees along Stanford Street in what will be a future small park.  The council vote Tuesday was to save the nine trees but they specifically rejected saving them in the most cost effective manner.  Instead of saving the trees by just leaving them as they are, they opted instead to dig them up, place them in boxes and store them off site for a year or so until the park site is ready for replanting them.

Hope you like it-
it's going to cost you
a bundle.

The developer, Archstone Development Group expressed interest in cutting down all the trees as a way to save money...something or other about their profit.  But Council members Nora Davis and Kurt Brinkman suggested the developer's and the resident's desires both could be met by their plan to dig up and box the trees, a "good compromise" as Ms Davis called it.  The fact that Emeryville residents, not the developer would pay for digging up, boxing, storing and re-planting nine very large trees was left unmentioned Tuesday by the two council members.  It must have slippped their minds.

Council member Jac Asher had a better idea in mind; she motioned that Charlie Bryant, the Planning Director should determine which idea is the most cost effective; the save the trees where they are plan or the dig up and box the trees plan.  Mr Bryant would then oversee the more cost effective of the two.  Council member Ruth Atkin liked Ms Asher's motion and offered a second.  With mayor Jennifer West absent, the motion advanced where it died as a result of a NO vote from Nora Davis and Kurt Brinkman, the Broken Record Twins.

So now the city must pay to dig up the trees, store them and re-plant them because....well... Ms Davis and Mr Brinkman wouldn't say.  We think it has something to do with Archstone's desire for a greater profit.  It wouldn't be the first time for these two for this kind of vote and it won't likely be the last.

This harebrained tree idea of theirs is not a win-win...it's not a "good compromise"...it's just bad governance.  And once again the Broken Record Twins show us where their allegiance lays.

"Save the taxpayers
some money?"

"Not gunna do it!"

"No!"

Council Votes: Nine Parkside Trees Saved

Parkside Trees To Be Dug Up And Temporarily Stored Elsewhere

The Emeryville city council voted Tuesday night to save nine of the 33 most contentious trees slated to be killed to make way for the Parkside condominium project.  The housing development project raised the ire of Emeryville residents when the city staff and the developer conspired to kill every existing street tree to ease construction of the project.

The Parkside Condominiums will look like
other housing projects in Emeryville
completed in the last 15 years.

Residents were especially dismayed by the prospects of cutting down 33 mature trees along Stanford Street in what is to be a small park adjacent and associated with the project, as widely reported by The Secret News.  The city council responded to residents complaints by scheduling Tuesday's reconsideration of an earlier green light to start cutting by the council.

The new plan now as approved by the council is to dig up and temporarily pot the nine trees in large boxes and store them off site.  The trees would later be re-planted in roughly the same spot at the new park upon completion of the project.  The arborist associated with the project has determined the nine mature trees to be saved as "good", the highest rating.

All of the other street trees on the city block circumscribed by Powell, Doyle, Stanford and Hollis streets either have already been killed or will be to make construction of the project easier.  The nation-wide condominium developer, Archstone, has done other housing projects in the Bay Area including the Archstone Apartments on Shellmound Street in Emeryville.