SR 05:258 - Laserfiche WebLink

There are nine trees (greater than six inches in diameter) to be removed which include one Tree of Heaven (a heritage-size tree), three Modesto Ash trees, one California Black Walnut tree (a heritage-size tree), one Glossy Privet tree, one Japanese Black Pine, one Almond tree (a heritage-size tree), and one Evergreen Pear tree. Staff recognizes that the applicant is willing to preserve or relocate a small Coast Live Oak tree and protect two other existing heritage-size street trees during construction to enhance the proposed development. The nine trees requested for removal are exotics and will be replaced with sixteen new trees, a 1 :1.7 replacement ratio. In light of the tree size and replacement ratio related to a 0.26 acre site, staffhas determined that the trees to be removed are substantially mitigated by the proposed landscaping plan. While staff would prefer that the existing California Black Walnut tree at the rear of the site be preserved, the Downtown Specific Plan has several goals, including encouraging smaller dwelling units at higher densities that are affordable by design. To achieve this number of units on this particular parcel, the applicants are proposing to remove the tree. The applicants propose to plant a number of trees and shrubs on the site. Proposed tree species would include the following: Evergreen Pear; Coast Live Oak; Crape Myrtle; English Yew; Yoshino Flowering Cherry; Yarwood Sycamore; Chinese Pistache; and Purple-Leaf Plum. Numerous shrub species are proposed, including the following: Rockrose; Pink Breath of Heaven; Evergreen Euonymus; Gardenia; New Zealand Tea Tree; Wax-Leaf Privet; Heavenly Bamboo; Pittosporum; Shiny Xylosma; Lily of the Nile; Fortnight Lily; Daylily; Candytuft; Red Hot Poker; Lantana, English Lavender; Rosemary; and Mexican Sage (see Exhibit A for additional plant species). As conditioned by staff, all trees would be a minimum of 15 gallons in size and all shrubs would be a minimum of 5-gallon containers. Staff believes that the proposed plant species and locations are appropriate. As recommended in the Downtown Design Guidelines, the applicants propose to landscape areas adjacent to driveways. The front yard landscaping for the proposed units along Peters A venue would include lawns with one-to-two ornamental trees, and shrubs, similar to other homes in this area. As conditioned, the applicants would be required to create a maintenance association to maintain the front yard landscaping at the single-family detached units and all landscaping at the multi- family residential units. The tree report by HortScience does not include an existing oak tree on the neighboring property at 730 Peters Avenue. This tree is a few feet from the shared property line with the proposed project. Staff recommends that this tree be preserved. Staff has added a recommended condition of approval that the applicants hire an arborist on the City's list of approved arborists to survey the tree and propose tree preservation measures. If the tree is damaged, staffhas added a recommended condition of approval that the applicants replace it with one 36-inch box tree of the same species in approximately the same location. Case No. PUD-37 Planning Commission Page -12-