Sheet C-19, Geomorph Design, September 15, 2023
Section detail (3) indicates that soil will be excavated to an average of minus 5 feet in areas that are within 1 foot of the redwood trees. This excavation with vegetated soil lifts is to “Avoid damaging tree roots”, and per note 4, “…avoid damaging tree roots with arborist and engineer approval.” Structural roots for these trees are present in the entire area depicted in section detail (3), and per industry standards, the removal of soil per this detail cannot be performed without creating structurally unsound and unsafe trees out of the adjacent redwoods. Recommendation: retain existing soil and root structure, relying on the roots for soil stability. Infill with plantings on the existing soil grade.
Section detail (4) indicates that a backcut slope is to reduce the existing grade by between 5 and 8 feet. This excavation would remove most if not all roots on the creek side of the row of 6 redwoods, and would create hazardous trees that are likely to fail, uprooting toward the east. Recommendation: protect and preserve all roots and associated soil at the back of the eastern-most wall, or at an average distance of 12 to 15 feet from the 6 adjacent redwood trees.
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Tree Management Experts
Consulting Arborists
3109 Sacramento Street
San Francisco, CA 94115
Member, American Society of Consulting Arborists
Certified Arborists, Tree Risk Assessment Qualified
Contractor’s License #885953 www.treemanagementexperts.blogspot.com Page 3 of 7 Sheet C-1, Stetson Engineers, Inc., September 15, 2023
The plan is titled “Finished Site Plan”, and fails to show any trees in Creekside Park. Since many trees are present in the park, it appears that Stetson forgot to include trees on this plan sheet. Recommendation: revise the plan sheet to include trees to be preserved in the actual “Finished Site Plan”, if any.
Marin County Flood Control: San Anselmo Downtown Creek Area Tree inventory data set identifying tree tag numbers, tree species, scientific name, DBH (in), and condition. These are standard minimal as-found data points for a tree inventory. There are no tree protection zone diameters or other calculated metrics to characterize tree protection zones. Recommendation: develop tree protection zones per industry standards for each tree identified in this dataset. Use the tree protection zones to identify limitations to site utilization, and to establish mitigation requirements, per industry standards.
Sheet 1 of 1, Topographic Map, BKF Engineers, May 30, 2023 Redwood trees as well as other trees found within Creekside Park are clearly located.
Recommendation: incorporate tree locations onto all plan sheets and develop tree protection zones per industry standards for each tree identified on this map. Use the tree protection zones to identify limitations to site utilization, and to establish mitigation requirements, per industry standards.
331
Tree Management Experts
Consulting Arborists
3109 Sacramento Street
San Francisco, CA 94115
Member, American Society of Consulting Arborists
Certified Arborists, Tree Risk Assessment Qualified
Contractor’s License #885953 www.treemanagementexperts.blogspot.com Page 4 of 7 Conclusions
The current plans do not accommodate the trees within Creekside Park due to designs that require extensive excavation within tree protection zones. Tree removal for several trees will be required should construction proceed as shown on the plans.
Access and staging will require extensive utilization of the park property, including most areas with trees. Trees that are retained will suffer irreparable damage unless extensive tree protection measures are added to this plan.
To preserve the trees, the portion of the existing east structure that retains soil needs to remain undisturbed. All underground structures and utilities within tree protection zones should be retained in order to preserve roots. New plans should minimize soil disturbance in order to preserve the roots.
The portion of the structure that does not retain soil with roots may be removed and the site restored to become part of the creek environment. Although some roots from the redwoods are likely present at this distance, the impacts would be tolerated.
A tree protection plan, per industry standards, is essential to preservation of the trees in this park. The tree protection plan provided does not meet industry standards. With the current plan, most if not all trees in this park are de-facto condemned, and will be either removed or damaged to a point where they become hazardous or unhealthy. 332
Tree Management Experts
Consulting Arborists
3109 Sacramento Street
San Francisco, CA 94115
Member, American Society of Consulting Arborists
Certified Arborists, Tree Risk Assessment Qualified
Contractor’s License #885953 www.treemanagementexperts.blogspot.com Page 5 of 7 Assumptions and Limiting Conditions
1. Any legal description provided to the consultant is assumed to be correct. Title and ownership of all property considered are assumed to be good and marketable. No responsibility is assumed for matters legal in character. Any and all property is appraised or evaluated as though free and clear, under responsible ownership and competent management.
2. It is assumed that any property is not in violation of any applicable codes, ordinances, statutes or other governmental regulations.
3. Care has been taken to obtain all information from reliable sources. All data has been verified insofar as possible. The consultant can neither guarantee nor be responsible for the accuracy of information provided by others.
4. Various diagrams, sketches and photographs in this report are intended as visual aids and are not to scale, unless specifically stated as such on the drawing. These communication tools in no way substitute for nor should be construed as surveys, architectural or engineering drawings.
5. Loss or alteration of any part of this report invalidates the entire report.
6. Possession of this report or a copy thereof does not imply right of publication or use for any purpose by any other than the person to whom it is addressed, without the prior written or verbal consent of the consultant.
7. This report is confidential and to be distributed only to the individual or entity to whom it is addressed.
Any or all of the contents of this report may be conveyed to another party only with the express prior written or verbal consent of the consultant. Such limitations apply to the original report, a copy, facsimile, scanned image or digital version thereof.
8. This report represents the opinion of the consultant. In no way is the consultant’s fee contingent upon a stipulated result, the occurrence of a subsequent event, nor upon any finding to be reported.
9. The consultant shall not be required to give testimony or to attend court by reason of this report unless subsequent contractual arrangements are made, including payment of an additional fee for such services as described in the fee schedule, an agreement or a contract.
10. Information contained in this report reflects observations made only to those items described and only reflects the condition of those items at the time of the site visit. Furthermore, the inspection is limited to visual examination of items and elements at the site, unless expressly stated otherwise. There is no expressed or implied warranty or guarantee that problems or deficiencies of the plants or property inspected may not arise in the future.
333
Tree Management Experts
Consulting Arborists
3109 Sacramento Street
San Francisco, CA 94115
Member, American Society of Consulting Arborists
Certified Arborists, Tree Risk Assessment Qualified
Contractor’s License #885953 www.treemanagementexperts.blogspot.com Page 6 of 7 Disclosure Statement
Arborists are tree specialists who use their education, knowledge, training, and experience to examine trees, recommend measures to enhance the beauty and health of trees, and attempt to reduce the risk of living near trees. Clients may choose to accept or disregard the recommendations of the arborist, or to seek additional advice.
Arborists cannot detect every condition that could possibly lead to the structural failure of a tree. Trees are living organisms that fail in ways we do not fully understand. Conditions are often hidden within trees and below ground. Arborists cannot guarantee that a tree will be healthy or safe under all circumstances, or for a specified period of time. Likewise, remedial treatments, like any medicine, cannot be guaranteed.
Treatment, pruning, and removal of trees may involve considerations beyond the scope of the arborist’s services such as property boundaries, property ownership, site lines, disputes between neighbors, and other issues. An arborist cannot take such considerations into account unless complete and accurate information is disclosed to the arborist. An arborist should then be expected to reasonably rely upon the completeness and accuracy of the information provided.
Trees can be managed, but they cannot be controlled. To live near trees is to accept some degree of risk. The only way to eliminate all risk associated with trees is to eliminate the trees.
Tree risk assessment is not tree risk management. The arborist typically has the distinct and separate role of being the tree risk assessor. The tree risk manager is typically the property owner or the agent thereof. Tree risk management should consider tree risk assessment, and may consider many additional factors related to property management decision making. 334
Tree Management Experts
Consulting Arborists
3109 Sacramento Street
San Francisco, CA 94115
Member, American Society of Consulting Arborists
Certified Arborists, Tree Risk Assessment Qualified
Contractor’s License #885953 www.treemanagementexperts.blogspot.com Page 7 of 7 Certification of Performance
I, Roy C. Leggitt, III, Certify:
• That we have inspected the trees and/or property evaluated in this report. We have stated findings accurately, insofar as the limitations of the Assignment and within the extent and context identified by this report;
• That we have no current or prospective interest in the vegetation or any real estate that is the subject of this report, and have no personal interest or bias with respect to the parties involved; • That the analysis, opinions and conclusions stated herein are original and are based on current scientific procedures and facts and according to commonly accepted arboricultural practices; • That no significant professional assistance was provided, except as indicated by the inclusion of another professional report or professional attribution within this report; • That compensation is not contingent upon the reporting of a predetermined conclusion that favors the cause of the client or any other party.
I am a member in good standing of the American Society of Consulting Arborists, and of the International Society of Arboriculture.
I am a Certified Arborist and am Tree Risk Assessment Qualified (TRAQ), as designated by the International Society of Arboriculture.
I maintain a California State Contractor’s License for Tree Service (C-61, D-49).
I have attained professional training in all areas of knowledge asserted through this report by completion of a Bachelor of Science degree in Plant Science, by routinely attending pertinent professional conferences and by reading current research from professional journals, books and other media.
I have rendered professional services in a full-time capacity in the field of horticulture and arboriculture for more than 37 years.
Signed:
Certified Arborist WE-0564A
Date: 7/23/25
[email protected]
Cell (415) 606-3610
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