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Eucalyptus Removals - Foothill Heights Apts.pdfARBOR RESOURCES profe551onal consulting arbori5t5 and tree care March 11, 2019 Mark Johnson JCJ Investment Corporation 125 Willow Road Menlo Park, CA 94025 RE: Eucalyptus Removal and Replacement Foothill Heights Apartments 1 10210 N. Foothill Boulevard, Cupertino Dear Mr. Johnson: via: email This document serves to supplement your application for a Retroactive Tree Removal Permit regarding three eucalyptus removed from the above -referenced site during the summer of 2018; to my understanding, removal occurred to accommodate a future spa area. Site observations were obtained by me on 2/21/19 and 3/1/19, and additional items assigned to execute are as follows: ■ Ascertain the eucalyptus trees' locations, species, sizes and conditions based on Google Street View images (dated January 2018). ■ Evaluate whether the species, sizes, conditions and locations of trees installed in 2015 adequately support mitigation guidelines specified within Section 14.18.190 of the Cupertino Municipal Code. Information regarding locations and installation sizes were supplied by the Community Manager, Mrs. Claudia Pangura. TREE DESCRIPTION The three removed eucalyptus are dwarf blue gums (Eucalyptus g. 'Compacta'), located adjacent to another and immediately north of the office/rec building. For identification purposes, I label them as #1 thru 3; #1 is shown closest to N. Foothill Boulevard and #3 the furthest away. Trees #1 and 2 aligned Building E, their trunks roughly 5 to 6 feet from the building's foundation, and #3 was setback more equidistant between Building E and the office/rec building. See attached map for an illustration of these locations (shown in blue). p.o. box 25295, San mateo, california 94402 ■ email: arborre5ource5@comca5t.net phone: 650.654.335 1 0 cell: 650.274.3656 ■ licen5ed contractor #796763 ARBOR RESOURCES profe551onal consulting arbori5t5 and tree care March 11, 2019 Foothill Heights Apartments page 2 of 3 A summary of each tree's estimated size and condition is as follows, and all diameters are considered at 54 inches above the ground: ■ #1: Three trunks with diameters of 22, 17 and 12 inches; height of 55 feet; canopy spread of 35 feet; appeared in overall fair to good health; had a poor and weak structure; and canopy was excessively elevated. ■ #2: Two trunks with diameters of 28 and 28 inches; height of 60 feet; canopy spread of 30 feet; appeared in overall fair to good health; had a poor and weak structure; and canopy was excessively elevated. ■ #3: Two trunks with diameters of 36 and 24 inches; height of 60 feet; canopy spread of 30 feet; appeared in overall fair to good health; and had a poor and weak structure. All three were very large eucalyptus trees having outgrown their confined spaces and located in a constantly occupied setting, targets below consisting of apartment units, the sidewalk and street. This species has an inherently rapid growth rate and is highly prone to frequent branch and limb failure, as evidenced and reported by Mrs. Pangura to have regularly occurred. This species also exfoliates or sheds significant amounts of flammable bark, and as a result, can be considered dangerous to nearby structures (and best suited for windbreaks along agriculture fields, and possibly shelterbelts to reduce erosion and screening purposes). Mitigating these risks to persons and property below requires an extremely frequent, costly and perhaps unreasonable level of maintenance and monitoring throughout the trees' remaining lifespans. An additional note includes that large root growth along the adjacent building's foundation likely occurred, and would present a progressively increased threat of potential damage to the building overtime. This threat could not be reasonably abated without jeopardizing the trees' anchoring capacity. p.o. box 25295, San mateo, california 94402 ■ email: arborre5ource5@comca5t.net phone: 650.654.335 1 0 cell: 650.274.3656 ■ licen5ed contractor #796763 ARBOR RESOURCES profe551onal consulting arbori5t5 and tree care March 11, 2019 Foothill Heights Apartments page 3 of 3 QUALIFYING REPLACEMENTS Applying Table A from Section 14.18.190 of the City Code, replacement trees to mitigate removals include three of 36 -inch box size (one 36 -inch box for each removed). I have identified three qualifying replacements located behind units 21 thru 24 (Building F), each being fern pines (Podocarpus gracilior) situated at reasonably acceptable locations for an apartment complex and their young age. Their locations are identified in red on the attached site map, and the range of their size dimensions includes 4- to 4.5 -inch trunk diameters, 18 to 22 feet heights, and 10- to 15 -foot canopy spreads. As a separate note, support stakes should be removed from each as they appear sufficiently rooted, and further support only impairs and can significantly debilitate their future anchoring capacity. Sincerely, k&� 6. �,/ David L. Babby Registered Consulting Arborist® #399 rt� A - Board -Certified Master Arborist®#WE-40018 � � - 5� h, CA Licensed Tree Service Contractor #796763 (C61/D49) Attachment: Site Map (one sheet) p.o. box 25295, San mateo, california 94402 ■ email: arborre5ource5@comca5t.net phone: 650.654.335 1 0 cell: 650.274.3656 ■ licen5ed contractor #796763 T d 59 ]O nA a � l 0A. 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