Saratoga, California Since 1955
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By Kate Carter After an often-contentious, months-long controversy about whether or not to remove six oak trees from the city's Heritage Orchard, the city council chose to follow the advice of those who know best. The council directed staff June 5 to follow suggestions made by the Novakovich family, which oversees the maintenance of the orchard, to remove two of the oaks and treat the other four as it always has done. The Novakoviches submitted their recommendations to the council via letter, although they sat in the audience while the council made its decision. They had also sat in the audience two months ago, when the council decided to remove all the oak trees, and only voiced their opposition to that plan later. That opposition set off a storm of letter writing to the council by citizens concerned about destroying healthy oaks for the sake of a few fruit trees in a noncommercial orchard. Councilman Stan Bogosian at one point said he wouldn't support the removal of any of the orchard's oak trees. Others, however, sided with Councilwoman Ann Waltonsmith, who supported the removal of as many oaks as possible, citing concerns for the vitality and future of the orchard, one of Saratoga's last living links to its agricultural past. After a council-called orchard site visit last month, at which the entire council, two biologists, two arborists from Los Gatos and other concerned individuals viewed each of the oaks, the decision came down to a compromise made by the Novakoviches themselves. They agreed to removing two of the oaks that were most problematic and pruning back the rest to allow more light to come in on the adjacent fruit trees. They also recommended taking out as much of the removed trees' roots as possible in order to prevent outbreaks of oak root fungus from attacking fruit trees. However, the Novakoviches opposed a suggestion made by one arborist to keep a 60-foot radius around each oak free of soil discing, which could harm the trees' roots. The Novakoviches pointed out that those trees, which have survived such treatment after self-sprouting among the fruit trees decades ago, would probably not be adversely harmed by continued discing, necessary for the orchard's main operation. They also suggested that the dead wood be removed from two tall silk oak trees near Saratoga Avenue, in which raptors, which manage the orchard's rodent population, perch. The council agreed to all that, with the stipulation that the silk oaks could eventually be removed if they become a safety hazard, especially with plans to put an educational building near them. Raptors could be re-attracted to the orchard by installing constructed perches. The council also reiterated its original plans to transplant one large oak tree near Fruitvale Avenue somewhere else in the city, possibly as part of the Gateway-area project. It also again agreed to remove and replant five smaller oak trees along Saratoga Avenue, possibly in the median along Fruitvale Avenue. The Novakoviches said they were pleased with the council's decision, acknowledging that the issue could have been prevented if they had discussed it with the council initially. |
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