The Cupertino Courier

Letters & Opinions

Speak Out

Tree removal ordinance
in Cupertino is unclear

The letter from the vice mayor of Cupertino (Courier, July 5) about tree removal indicated the city finally realized it has a problem with its tree-removal ordinance. Other than the fact that it is difficult to interpret, there are two bigger issues at hand:

Guidelines for removing trees from Cupertino properties are not easily accessible on the Internet; and

Procedures and fees should vary between commercial properties, housing developments and private homeowners.

On July 4, I googled the subject "tree-removal permit fee," and found detailed guidelines on city websites such as Seattle, Los Gatos, Los Altos, Tahoe and Oakland. In general, the permit is handled by the town arborist, and application fees range between $50-$130. Most of these cities also have the permit available online.

Orange County shows two types of tree removal permits--tree removal for developed and undeveloped properties. The fees are $76 (with some exceptions) and $115, respectively. I also found an article speaking of a San Jose city councilman exploring ways to lower or eliminate the $226 permit fee for the removal of private-property trees.

A new search of the Cupertino city website showed a "tree-removal permit application" revised on July 3. Tree removal fees are as follows:

*Planning Commission tree removal-- $2,536;

*Director tree removal--$819;

*Arborist consultant deposit-- $1,000;

Rather than scolding residents for not following the rules, I would encourage Cupertino's public officials to make more information publicly accessible on the city's official website. The "one size fits all" tree removal ordinance should be reviewed for fairness in addition to clarity.

In conclusion, a dead tree in Cupertino needs director-level approval and $1,819 to rest in peace.

Annie Karpat

Cupertino