Shingle oak doesn't make the cut

By Laura Urseny

lurseny@chicoer.com @LauraUrseny on Twitter

Chico >> While it approved the removal of several trees from a north Chico neighborhood, the Bidwell Park and Playground Commission said no to another property owner in a different part of town who said her tree was causing problems.

The owner of a house on Bloomington Avenue in east Chico asked for the city's permission to remove a shingle oak in front of her house. She was willing to pay for the cost of removing and replacing the tree. In a letter to the commission, she said as a single mother of two, she found the responsibilities of taking care of the tree too much, along with her family duties. The Bloomington tree is planted in the city right-of-way, next to the street.

The Park Commission found none of the criteria to grant the removal on Monday.

While the homeowner cited leaves that held on past the end of the city's leaf collection program and irritating litter, the city bases removal decisions on reasons like roots breaking sidewalks or safety issues like dropping limbs.

Those issues were among the reasons that several residents on Cromwell Drive and Grafton Park got Park Commission approval to remove their city-owned trees, which were a different species yarwood sycamores.

Parks Manager Dan Efseaff said he is still working on a programmatic permit that would allow the easier removal of identified bothersome trees like the yarwood sycamore. The proposed permit would allow the Park Department to approve tree removal without going to the commission. The yarwood sycamore has been identified as a problem tree, but not the shingle oak.

Park commissioners and members of the public who inspected the tree said it was an attractive, healthy tree. The applicant did not speak at Monday's meeting.

In other news, the Park Commission gave its thanks to Omega Nu professional sorority which gave $1,000 to the Caper Acre playground renovation.

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Shingle oak doesn't make the cut