SLO school renovation progresses after tree removal appeal win 

Two 44-year-old trees found themselves at the center of a debate between the San Luis Coastal Unified School District and San Luis Obispo's Tree Committee in an effort to balance public access and environmental benefits.

The school district's director of facilities operations and transportation, Chris Bonin, appealed City Arborist Walter Gault's rejection of the April application to remove a pair of Shamel ash trees at the entrance of Hawthorne Elementary School.

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• Screenshot From City Of SLO Tree Removal Application
• ROOT CAUSE Afflicted with root flare and crown dieback, the two Shamel ash trees in front of Hawthorne Elementary School are bound to be replaced with two Japanese crape myrtle trees as part of an extensive renovation project by the San Luis Coastal Unified School District.

The large trees with their extensive and aging root system became a public right-of-way obstruction, lifting and cracking the sidewalk and posing as a tripping hazard, according to Bonin.

"The voters just passed another $350 million for us to modernize our elementary schools," Bonin told the Tree Committee at the June 24 appeal hearing. "We want to remove the whole ramp and bring it up to ADA [Americans with Disabilities Act] standards. The trees have been dropping some branches. ... We're worried about the safety of the students and parents going into the school because it is the main entrance."

Hawthorne Elementary is one of several elementary and middle school campuses in SLO, Morro Bay, and Los Osos set to receive much-needed security and classroom facilities upgrades. The extensive renovation projects are funded through a $349 million modernization bond called Measure C-22 that voters passed with 63 percent approval in 2022.

Bonin told New Times after his successful appeal that the school district unlocked Measure C-22 funds after it used up $177 million from a previous bond called Measure D that fixed faulty infrastructure at SLO and Morro Bay high schools.

But the two Shamel ash trees became roadblocks to progress for the school district.

"The city maintains the sidewalk, and the trees the Tree Committee oversees," Bonin told New Times on June 25. "We're offering to fix the sidewalk even though it's city responsibility and we're offering to replace the trees even though it's city responsibility because we're going to be in front of the school and we want to look nice."

Filed in May, Bonin's appeal application detailed that the school district is ready to replant the area with two Japanese crape myrtle trees once the Shamel ash trees are removed and the sidewalk is repaired.

His appeal added trees' branches are prone to breakage especially during storms and heavy winds. In April, school district project manager Dave Lassere wrote to the city arborist that the root-impacted section of the sidewalk near the intersection of Sandercock and Story streets required "high spot grinding" to prevent falls and allow safe navigation for people with disabilities.

"This grinding has created areas where the concrete is becoming thinner than ideal and may lead to even more problems in the future," Lassere wrote. "We are also concerned that these two trees have engulfed the power, data, and fiber lines that we rely on to provide a safe learning environment."

Hired by the school district, Master Arborist Sam Oakley of the Oakley Group, buttressed the appeal by drawing attention to the age of the trees causing structural defects and damage to the sidewalk.

"When these trees were planted, the growing space was ideal for saplings," Oakley told the Tree Committee. "But for 44- to 45-year-old trees, it's completely inadequate."

City Arborist Gault rejected Bonin's tree removal application in May on the grounds that the two Shamel ash trees aren't imminent hazards to life or property and haven't caused sidewalk damage that severe enough to remove them. He recommended minor root pruning to reduce damage and canopy pruning to adjust the trees brushing into overhead utility lines.

Tree Committee member Daniel Canella said at the appeal hearing that pruning maintenance was supposed to happen earlier this summer on the city's watch but got postponed because school was still in session.

Oakley said that pruning isn't feasible, especially when the trees have inadequate buttress roots and "root flare" that shows substantial decay. The trees also have "crown dieback," meaning the upper and outer foliage are so sparse that light penetrates through them.

While the Tree Committee said it aligned with the city arborist's findings, it credited Oakley's presentation for providing a new perspective. All members wanted the school district to offset the removal of the two Shamel ash trees with more replanted trees than originally planned.

"These have been in the ground for 40 years and they look terrible but have provided habitat, shade, and all that," Tree Committee member Henry Bonifas said with a laugh.

The committee unanimously approved Bonin's appeal to remove the two trees but set some conditions. The school district must submit a replanting plan prior to the start of construction and before the trees are removed; replant two 24-inch box trees in the same location with a minimum maximum height of 25 feet; plant four additional trees with a minimum maximum height of 35 feet wherever Bonin wants in or around school routes; and place armoring around the planted trees to prevent further damage.

"It's unfortunate for trees but fortunately for access, ADA usually wins out because of the law," Tree Committee Chair Elizabeth Lucas said. Δ