Del Mar City Council Approves Removal of Endangered Tree

Del Mar City Council unanimously gave a local conservationist approval to remove a Torrey pine treet located behind his home on the 400 block of 15th Street at Monday's meeting.

Ivan Gayler, the founder and chair of Nature and Culture International, a nonprofit established in 1997 to save millions of acres of rain forest in Central and South America, sought to remove the endangered 90-foot tree after his arborist determined it was a safety hazard.

Kathleen Garcia, Del Mar's planning director, said the city’s arborist inspected the tree and surrounding area before he also recommended the tree be removed.

“His conclusion was that based on the large size of the tree and the condition, it could be potentially hazardous if the tree falls,” Garcia said.

Gayler’s neighbors, Charles and Kathryn Brinton, appealed the Planning Department’s approval of the tree removal and brought the matter before the council.

The arborist they hired, Bradley Brown, disagreed with the other reports. He said he observed no soil upheaval and that the tree’s leaning was due to corrective growth.

“The tree does not present an unacceptable level of risk that would warrant its removal,” he said.

Although the species is protected in the area, a Torrey pine deemed as hazardous is among criteria necessary for removal. Gayler's arborist, Eugene Schwartz, concluded that the tree presented a threat to public safety because its lean had “increased considerably.” He added that further trimming would be detrimental to the tree’s health.

“This Torrey Pine tree could cause serious personal injury, severe or even death, to an occupied vehicle or home,” said Schwartz, who has worked for Gayler since 2007, in his report to the city.

City arborist Larry Holmes reviewed and agreed with Schwartz's report, and the Planning Department approved the removal. In a 5-0 vote, councilmembers agreed with the Planning Department’s decision and opted against a formal appeal hearing.

Before the vote, Kathryn Brinton said a decision to remove or not remove a Torey pine in Del Mar “sets an important precedent.”

“Our protection of the rare and endangered Torrey pine only makes our community more beautiful and improves our quality of life,” she said. “It elevates us and makes Del Mar pricelessly distinctive.

“We maintain this particular tree endangers no structure, endangers no life.”

James Sneed of Bokal & Sneed Architects spoke to the council on behalf of Gayler, who was not at the meeting. He noted that there are other Torrey pine trees on the site, so removing the tree would not leave the area “totally barren.” Sneed added that removing the tree was in the community’s best interest.

“It’s calm right now, but just one windy, wet day could be a big catastrophe,” he said.