T.O.'s law governing oak trees can infuriate homeowners and businesses
It should be waived for those who planted their own trees, mayor says
By Nancy Needham nancy@theacorn.com

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers OAK TREE ORDINANCE- Mayor Andy Fox says the city's oak protection law may be too strict.

Oak trees, often regarded as sacred in Thousand Oaks, were targeted as threats to public safety during a recent City Council discussion over property owners' rights concerning the city's namesake trees.

Dave Galbrownson of Westlake described a monument oak tree that had been certified healthy by an arborist but dropped a limb, hit a garage and just missed crashing down on five children.

The tree was afflicted with something called "summer limb drop phenomena," which occurs when a tree sucks up a lot of water, increasing the weight of the limb until it splits and falls, Galbrownson said.

Henry Valdez, owner of Enrique's restaurant, had his own story about three oak trees near his business that were left alone because of the city's oak tree regulations. For 29 years, he waited and watched as limbs fell down on cars, he said.

On another issue, the council unanimously decided to simplify current requirements for altering approved landscape plans. The council has required landscape plans be approved by the city. Once these plans were in place, changing them required a complicated process. They voted to wait for further study before deciding whether or not to exempt from the city's oak tree ordinance those oaks planted by homeowners on properties less than one acre.

The planning commission and city staff recommended the municipal code not be amended to exempt homeowner-planted trees. Mayor Andy Fox had other ideas.

"If you are a property owner and you plant a tree, you should be able to remove that tree. Plain and simple," Fox said.

After listening to public speakers and the staff's description of arborist reports and other city permit requirements pertaining to oak tree maintenance, Fox stated, "You'd have to be out of your mind to plant an oak tree with the associated costs."

Councilmember Dennis Gillette said he's listened over the years as owners come in concerned because a healthy tree is hanging over something. They're not permitted to trim the limbs off. Then the tree crushes a house or crushes a motor home. That story is repeated time and time again he said.

Currently, only oak trees under 2 inches in diameter may be cut down or trimmed without a city permit.

"I don't believe the proposals we have before us this evening go far enough. I think this is a good start, but I think it requires more work," Gillette said.

Frank Lussier, representing the Racquet Club homeowners association, suggested changing the city's procedure to modify approved landscaping because some trees have been unwisely planted in close proximity to sewer lines near his home, he said.

"We're infested with huge trees planted over sewer lines," he said.