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City Beat
Neighbors have mixed emotions on Parkside Ave. trees
City arborist has scheduled hearing on troublesome trees for Sept. 6
By Chantal Lamers
Nathan Wasserman waited 25 years to remove two city-owned Liquidambar street trees in front of his home on Parkside Avenue.
The trees' roots destroyed his sidewalk, his driveway and the plumbing beneath his home.
Liquidambar trees are causing a small uproar in the Willow Glen neighborhood. San Jose city officials want at least 16 of the 30 trees removed so they can repair gutters, curbs, sidewalks and streets. At least nine neighbors are protesting the removal of the trees. But about 30 neighbors are more than happy to see the trees go away.
San Jose City Arborist Mark Beaudoin says city officials will work with residents who don't want the tree in front of their property removed. However, Beaudoin says there is a chance trees that aren't removed will die.
Trees that die, after the city repairs Parkside Avenue, will be removed at the city's expense. However, the city won't pay to purchase or plant a new tree for residents who protest the removal, he says.
Beaudoin says that the roots of each tree are going to be trimmed on all sides. "If the roots are cut on all sides, that tree has a greater potential to fall," he says. "We've had trees fall because of root trimming."
Beaudoin says Liquidambars will be replaced with Chinese Pistache trees. He says trees will be 12-feet high when they are planted on Parkside Avenue.
The arborist department will hold a public hearing Sept. 6 at 6 p.m. on Parkside Avenue. Beaudoin will hear from anyone who has a question about an individual tree. "That way you can relate each tree because they are all different," he says.
"Our street is a disaster," Wasserman says. He's lived on Parkside for 45 years. Less than a year ago, he received a city permit to remove the trees and replant two Chinese Pistache trees. He paid $1,700 from his own pocket.
During the last 20 years, he's replaced drains and sidewalks three times. Now that the trees are gone, he doesn't have to call the plumber each month to drain backed-up pipes.
Wasserman doesn't deny the trees are beautiful during summer months. But in winter, hundreds of round, brown, spiky seed pods fall from the trees and cover the sidewalks and streets. Wasserman calls the seed pods "land mines."
Every winter, he swept up the seed pods. "Some of us clean up the seed pods and some neighbors don't," he says.
Chris Arnone has lived on Parkside Avenue for 27 years and can't wait for the trees to be removed. "I, for one, am really looking forward to the trees being removed."
Arnone spent seven months in a cast after stepping on one of the seed pods. "I stepped on it and my ankle went to the right. I fell and separated my ankle bones."
She isn't the only victim of the trees. One woman walking past Arnone's house tripped on a seed pod and injured herself. Another resident hurt herself when she tripped over a cracked sidewalk. Arnone says the trees are dangerous, destructive and dirty. Every spring, the heavy pollen from the trees turn her blue Lincoln Continental yellow.
"I love trees," she says. "I think all of us moved here because of the country setting. The trees are beautiful to look at but they are dangerous."
Like Wasserman, Arnone has also poured hundreds of dollars into repairing sidewalks and pipes. Now the tree's roots are coming up through her lawn.
"Most of our neighbors are tired of putting up with this," she says. "I've always liked trees--I'd love to have any kind of tree out here, except these."
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Willow Glen, California Since 1992
