Revised Arborist Report and Site and Replacement Plan 3_2.pdf15A Tree Risk k;sessment Qualified
ISA CerWied Arborist #'VE•0?22A
www,fimarbarist.cam
Wail; ray@rmarborist.com
Ray MO rm e, 9 U 551D S. Shoreline Bind.
Mourkt2in View. CA 94041-1929
*
ARBORIST Tel: 650. 964. 7664
Mobile: 415.412.1127
Contract Arborist Services Ray Morneau, Arborist
Tree Inspection Summary 650.964.7664
Revision Date: 11/17/2018
Site: 10603 Culbertson, Cupertino, CA 95014. Report Date: 06/28/2018
Client / Contact: Shadan Ghaemian Inspection Dates: 06/26/2018
Subject Tree : front yard Quercus agrifolia (coast live oak)
Inspector: Ray Morneau, ISA Certified Arborist #WE -0132A
P-1 (above) This 35" diameter coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia) circled in red is the
subject tree in front yard. It is effectively dead and must be removed/replaced.
Ray Morneau, Arborist ISA Certified Arborist #WE -0132A 650.964.7664
1.0 Assignment & Summary
1.1 Assignment: Inspect and report on the condition/status of a Quercus agrifolia (coast live oak)
tree in the front yard at 10603 Culbertson Drive in Cupertino, California.
The City's comment letter dated November 6, 2018 calls for two additional items to
which I am to respond.
1.2 Summary: As depicted in P-1 on the front page, this oak tree is so severely declining that,
for all intents and purposes, it is irrecoverable — it is dead. This ISA Certified Arborist
Report is to accompany the property owner's tree removal permit application, per City of
Cupertino regulations: http://www.cMertino.org/our-city/departments/community-
development/planning/non-residential-mixed-use-development/tree-protection-tree-
removal .
Planner Samuel Lai informs us that the City information at that site is incomplete as the
"What to plant?" section at the bottom of the page appears to merely tell us to refer to the
Selectree website hosted by CalPoly at htips:Hselectree.calpoly.edu/. That university site
does not mention replacement sizes/quantities but does provide information on the ten (10)
species I suggested below in "Section 3.0 Conclusions & Recommendations" ... replete
with the same URL.
2.0 Observations & Discussion:
2.01 Replacement: Code is clear ...
Per the City's comment letter and CMC currently accessible from the City's websites at:
httn : //Iibrarv. amle gal. com/nxt/eateway. dll/California/cuDertino/citvofcuDertinocalifor
niamunicipalcode?f=templates$fn=default.htm$3.0$vid=amle ag l cupertino_ca ...
Section 14.18.160 states: "The approval authority may impose the following replacement
standards ..." ... for up to a 36" diameter tree "Two 24" box trees or One 36" box
tree".
2.02 Replacement Species: Code does not address the species issue as strongly as the City
comment letter, which states "The Planning Division strongly encourages replacement
tree(s) to be the same (or similar native) oak species as the tree proposed to be
removed."
We can appreciate those words as a clear statement of "The Planning Division" position at
this time. I respectfully suggest that I acknowledge that is the current position of a
few consultants advising tree planters. I also respectfully suggest that this area of
Cupertino 500 to 200 years ago was a likely an oak savannah — which it no longer is —
so we now have a somewhat hot debate as to whether areas like the City Hall site on
Torre should be bulldozed and re -landscaped as a native oak savanna/grassland.
All facetiousness aside, for the purpose of this report, I yield in my conclusion. I will add
more oaks to the local oak I already included in my suggested list ("Quercus tomentella
(Island Oak) [also other drought -tolerant oaks to choose from]").
June 28, 2018 Inspection & Status Report: oak at 10603 Culbertson Dr, Cupertino, CA Pg. #2 of 4.
Nov. 17, 2018 — revised per City Comment letter of November 6, 2018.
Ray Morneau, Arborist ISA Certified Arborist #WE -0132A 650.964.7664
2.1 Location: Southwest corner of front yard, thirty feet (30') back of Culbertson curb.
Distance measurements: Street: 30'
Driveway: 21'
Neighbor's driveway and garage: 12'
2.2 Size: 35.3" = dbh (diameter at breast height) [industry standard 54 -inches above grade]
110.9"= trunk circumference at 54" above grade
40' = foliage crown radius (averaged radii)
—48' = height
2.3 Condition Rating: Overall = "Dead" (<10%).
Vigor = "Dead" (<1%).
Structure = "Very Poor" (25%).
2.4 Anomaly — extremely weak foliage growth (per P-2,
below) and trunk bark being shed (per P-3 (right) show
some observations.
2.5 Discussion:
The owner, Ms. Ghaemian, has notices that over the past ten (10) years this tree has appeared
to be gradually declining.
She has recently observed mushrooms growing in the root zone beneath this oak.
The front yard has been lawn for the entire time she has owned it. No changes in the tree's
root zone here, but the adjacent neighbor's construction project disrupted the root zone on
the other side of the fence [excavation for new foundation; changed to xeriscape
landscaping] .
Extended drought conditions (2011-21017) have certainly been one of the stresses for this
oak — like all trees in the region.
June 28, 2018 Inspection & Status Report: oak at 10603 Culbertson Dr, Cupertino, CA Pg. #3 of 4.
Nov. 17, 2018 — revised per City Comment letter of November 6, 2018.
Ray Morneau, Arborist ISA Certified Arborist #WE -0132A 650.964.7664
3.0 Conclusion & Recommendation
3.1 This 35 -inch -diameter coast live oak tree is irrecoverably declining/dead. The replacement
can be selected from the Landscape Architect's plant palette, but for the City's comments
addressed here following.
Since City Code calls for two (2) 24" -box trees or one (1) 36: -box tree for replacement
specimen size, I suggest using that as your guide. I would expect large size specimens to be
difficult to find in stock. But I would also expect equal likelihood of survival if using
either size, as long as good planting protocols are followed.
Current best practice rules that your landscape professional must reference include ANSI A-
300 Standards and accompanying ISA BMPs for each part. The ANSI Standards are
reviewed and updated periodically (approximately 5 -year cycles for each part). Current
applicable parts include:
■ A300 (Part 2)-2011 Soil Management a. Modification, b. Fertilization, and c. Drainage,
■ A300 (Part 6)-2012 Planting and Transplanting, and
■ A300 (Part 8)-2013 Root Management
I would also continue to suggest any of the following as possible replants since they are low
water users on the WUCOLS lists (http://ucanr.edu/sites/WUCOLS/ ):
• Arbutus `Marina' (Marina madrone)
• Callistemon rigidus (Bottlebrush) — often gardeners prefer to keep bottlebrush as a
shrub, but it can become a 25 -35 -foot tall tree, if pruned up to single/standard trunk.
• Hymenosporum flavum (Sweetshade)
• Laurus nobilis (Grecian Laurel)
• Lophostemon confertus (Brisbane Box)
• Lyonothamnus floribundus (Catalina Ironwood)
• Olea europaea (olive) [choose one of the several fruitless varieties]
• Quercus tomentella (Island Oak) [also other drought -tolerant oaks to choose from]
• Tristaniopsis laurina (swamp myrtle)
• Ulmus parvifolia `Allee' or `Drake' (Drake or Allee Chinese elms)
Or the owner may want to choose from the tree selection web site engine started a couple of
decades ago based on work by PG&E and the Urban Forest Ecosystems Institute. It is now
maintained by UC at: hM2s:Hselectree.calpol.
3.2 Although I still believe the property owner should be allowed to select a reasonable
specimen of his/her liking (and the above ten could all be reasonable —just that my list
cannot, by my very nature, be all-inclusive), I deferentially propose adding these to the
options as strongly encouraged by the City Planning Division:
• Quercus agrifolia (California live oak)
• Quercus x morehus (Oracle oak)
• Quercus x munzii (Mum's oak)
• Quercus parvula var. shrevei (Shreve oak)
June 28, 2018 Inspection & Status Report: oak at 10603 Culbertson Dr, Cupertino, CA Pg. #4 of 4.
Nov. 17, 2018 — revised per City Comment letter of November 6, 2018.
Ray Morneau, Arborist ISA Certified Arborist #WE -0132A 650.964.7664
Bear in mind that any of the above fourteen suggestions may be difficult to source (locate,
track down). If not found in stock at a local nursery such as Yamagami's or
SummerWinds, perhaps they can order one from their wholesale supplier(s), like Oracle
Oak Nursery in Hopland, California (415) 225-5567 www.oracleoaknursery.com
4.0 Certification
I certify that all the statements of fact in this report are true, complete, and correct to the best of
my knowledge, ability, and belief, and are made in good faith.
Respectfully submitted,
Raymond J. Morneau
ISA Certified Arborist #WE -0132A
ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualified
June 28, 2018 Inspection & Status Report: oak at 10603 Culbertson Dr, Cupertino, CA Pg. #5 of 4.
Nov. 17, 2018 — revised per City Comment letter of November 6, 2018.
SOLID
For Ir