What does the public think about elm tree removal plan?

ST. HELENA The St. Helena Tree Committee and Beringer Vineyards want more public input on Beringers plan to remove as many as four trees from the Highway 29 elm tunnel.

Instead of taking a position on the plan during a special Tuesday meeting, the committee advised Debra Dommen, Beringers vice president for government and industry affairs, to take the matter to the City Council.

We really need more public input before we can take a position, said committee member Kacey Stotesbery.

Dommen said she hopes to get on the agenda for the councils April 28 meeting, where she would explain how removing a few trees north of the Beringer driveway would create better sight lines and make it safer for drivers to exit Beringer.

Dommen said Beringer supports the elm tunnel, which is part of what makes Beringer Beringer. But drivers who have exited the property agree that safety is a concern, she said.

Dommen came to the committee in January and said she was looking for public feedback. Even after two articles in the St. Helena Star, shed gotten only four unsolicited comments.

So far nobody has stood up and said no way, Dommen said.

No members of the public attended Tuesdays Tree Committee meeting, except for Dommen.

Beringer is seeking input from the city and the community before applying to Caltrans for permits to remove the trees. The city doesnt have jurisdiction over the trees, so Beringer would need to get approval from Caltrans, which owns and maintains the tunnel, and the State Historic Preservation Office.

Beringer hired a traffic consultant to analyze the sight lines at the Beringer driveway. The current sight line is 92 feet, and based on the speed of traffic at the southern end of the tunnel, which often exceeds the 35 mph speed limit, the consultant recommended a minimum sight line of 250 feet.

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What does the public think about elm tree removal plan?