From: John Ferons
To: Hilary Gaede
Cc: Public Comment
Subject: FW: [EXTERNAL] REDWOOD TREE - 6750 JEFFERSON ST, YOUNTVILLE Date: Monday, March 4, 2024 2:14:30 PM
Attachments: image001.png
yountville redwood tree letter 2.2024.pdf
John F
Town of Yountville
Public Works Director
From: Hering, Paul (MMA)
Sent: Friday, March 1, 2024 5:11 PM
To: Brad Raulston <[email protected]>; John Ferons <[email protected]>; Hilary Gaede <[email protected]>
Cc: Public Comment <[email protected]>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] REDWOOD TREE - 6750 JEFFERSON ST, YOUNTVILLE This email was sent from a sender outside of your organization. Please be wary opening any attachments or following any links from this email. Please remember we will not send automated emails without warning or explanation.
Dear Mr. Raulston, Mr. Ferons & Ms. Gaede –
As I am unable to attend the Town Meeting next week on March 5th, I am writing in follow-up to our previous correspondence on this subject as well as the recent report prepared by Tony Wayne Wolcott Consulting, the Certified Arborist. My concerns are specifically related to the redwood tree located at 6750 Jefferson St. My wife Susan and I, along with our friends Jack & Donna Galloway, own the home across the street from this tree at 6757 Jefferson St. Attached to this email I have also included a copy of a letter we previously sent to Mr. Raulston.
First, I would like to thank you for your very open communication on this matter and also the speed and attention you have clearly committed to this issue. Your responsiveness has been refreshing and is much appreciated.
By way of a very brief introduction, I have been in the insurance / risk management industry for over 40 years. Currently, I am Vice Chairman of Marsh McLennan Agency, a subsidiary of Marsh, the largest insurance brokerage organization in the world. I simply share this to convey that I have some expertise in the areas of risk management, insurance and liability exposures.
The report by Wolcott is extensive and quite thorough. Allow me to focus on some specific items referenced in the report:
convey that it is not a NO RISK situation. The consultant confirms there is risk, albeit LOW in his opinion.)
walkways, and proximity to nearby houses.”
Redwood growing conditions are “not always readily available in Napa County.” (This seems to imply that this tree is not located in a normal optimal location for Redwoods to thrive.)
branches. Ideally, the tree would benefit from its natural mulch on the surface surrounding the tree. There is a slight lean toward the street.” (Note that this tree CANNOT benefit from its natural mulch due to where it is located which is essentially on the street itself.)
miniscule, the key point here, in my view, is that there is movement. Who can say that there wouldn’t be more movement in another serious weather event.)
Redwood Tree eliminates any tree risk.”
I apologize for the length of this email but simply want to be as complete as possible with my thoughts. I don’t think anyone would argue that this tree is a beautiful specimen. If there was no risk, then it would be an easy decision to preserve this tree. At this point, however, I believe that a number of residents in the area have expressed their concerns about the exposure and risks of both catastrophic property damage and severe bodily injury or even death presented by this “Town Tree.” Sadly, the reality we face is that we are experiencing more extreme weather events including in the Napa Valley, on a regular basis. This only serves to increase the risks presented by this tree.
In my opinion, allowing this risk to continue is simply not an acceptable option and creates a potentially serious liability for the Town of Yountville. As confirmed in the report, the one option that eliminates the risk is removing the tree.
Thank you again for your attention to this matter and for your ongoing communication.
Sincerely,
Paul
Paul Hering
Vice Chairman
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