Saratoga News Board holds off on making decision about eucalyptus Safety is the key, and all options will be explored By Michelle Alaimo The fate of several old eucalyptus trees on the campus of Oak Street School remains unresolved following an Aug. 18 meeting of the Saratoga Union School District board of trustees. Preliminary renovation plans prepared by HMC Architects had called for the removal for safety reasons of two large eucalyptus trees near the playground and a line of eucalyptus trees along the south side of the school, near the parking lot. However, Superintendent Mary Gardner said at the meeting that no action will be taken until the board has examined all available facts and possible options. Since initial reports in June of the possible removal of trees, residents and tree enthusiasts have been mailing letters to the board and to HMC architect Lee Salin with their concerns. While Gardner said most of the letters ask that plans be revised to include the trees, other letters say that safety should come first. Board members agreed priority No. 1 is safety. "Our mission is to construct a desirable and safe environment for our kids," board member Cynthia Chang said. Salin said his firm works with a number of schools throughout the state and said that "it's not that common to find large trees on a playground." He added that from his understanding, eucalyptus trees are fast-growing with limbs that have a tendency to break. "It's not really a design issue to us," Salin said. "It's only safety." Salin and his firm have come up with another option to removing the trees: Option C. However, he said that there would have to be tradeoffs. While Option C would cost less money to construct, it leaves the least amount of square footage for students use on the proposed playing field. Salin said it would create a supervision issue for teachers and parents. Not only would Option C set the trees off so that children could not play underneath them, but that option also includes the addition of a drainage swale for water with bridges to the field to help with water that inundates the area during winter storms. Salin said that Option C caters to promoting the continued life of the trees. Other possibilities include Option B, which calls for removal of the trees, and Option A, which would allow the trees to stay but is "not the best site plan from the trees' perspective," Salin said. He added that some of the asphalt would need to be removed from around the trees because the pavement is covering part of the extensive root system. SUSD has asked arborist Deborah Ellis to give a report at a future board meeting on what can be done to the trees to make them safe. Gardner said the board would use that information to help them make a decision regarding the trees' fate. No matter what happens, Saratoga School will not have the regulation-size soccer field originally hoped for. The district is looking into the possibility of purchasing a nearby tennis court parcel, which would add more square footage to the soccer field. Gardner said SUSD board candidate Stan Perry is working on an analysis of the tennis club property and will inform the board of his findings. Jennifer Young Taylor, Saratoga School Class of '58, said after the meeting that she was pleased that the board is taking the time to look at other options. Taylor has collected more than 100 signatures on 11 "Save Our Trees" petition packets, complete with pictures of the eucalyptus trees and letters from other residents, since June. Board member Jill Hunter said the trees are giving her a better appreciation of the community. "It has made me love the community more because of the concern for these trees." [ Back to Contents Page | Saratoga News Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Saratoga News, August 26, 1998. ©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.