Old Town's old pepper trees targeted

LuAnn Porter attempted to rally the troops on Facebook to attend the Old Town San Diego Community Planning Group meeting on Wednesday, August 12. It ended up being a small affair with six or seven city staffers and even fewer local residents.

According to Porter, the city plans to remove six trees on Juan Street between Mason and Twiggs on the west side near the Old Town Theater and stables. In this area, the sidewalks are buckling due to the trees' roots.

"I'm not sure there is a way to stop this train of destruction,” Porter commented after the meeting.

The city discussed the possibility of curb extensions into the street to keep the six trees but decided against the notion because it would cause the loss of six parking spaces.

According to Porter, the city will replace all the trees with smaller pepper trees and will only commit to watering them for three months. The city wouldn’t plant them before this fall.

Porter stated that she felt the city had already made a decision before the meeting and that community input didn't count for much. It doesn't seem to Porter or her neighbor Kristin Chapin that the city has fully explored other solutions.

The city has gone back and forth on both the removal and replacement of the pepper trees. When ground broke on the Juan Street improvement project last August, the public was shown landscape plans that included the existing pepper trees.

In February, the City Planning Department identified 18 trees for likely removal on the east side of Juan (between Taylor and Harney). The city also stated at the February planning meeting that oak and holly oak would replace the trees. In March, trees along Juan were marked for removal.

Alana Coons, director of Save Our Heritage Organisation (SOHO), voiced concern in March that the public was unaware of how many trees were targeted for removal and that there was need for a community meeting.

This meeting was held on March 25. According to David Swarens, a SOHO board member, there were a range of viewpoints supporting no tree removal. The planning group went on record in April saying that they would explore all options to prevent unnecessary tree removal. Ultimately, the city has the final say on what happens to the trees.

The next meeting is on September 9 at 3:30 pm at the Whaley House Courtroom.