Redlands Church Agrees to Pay $80K for Replacement of Redwood Trees

Redlands Seventh-day Adventist Church leaders have agreed to pay the full cost of replacing two redwood trees that were cut down Aug. 31 without permits or notifying the city, a Redlands spokesman said Thursday.

The cut-down trees were nearly 80 years old and 45 to 55 feet tall, city spokesman Carl Baker said.

The two coast redwoods, which were cut down by a contractor hired by the church, will be replaced with two mature coast redwoods, Baker said.

The full cost of purchasing, transporting, planting and maintaining the replacement trees is estimated at about $80,000, Baker said.

City staff were directed by city council members in September to negotiate with the church and to be prepared to begin the process of revoking the church's conditional use permit for construction of its sanctuary if an agreement could not be reached within two weeks, Baker said.

"On Aug. 31, the Redlands Seventh-Day Adventist Church, located at 520 Brookside Ave., hired contractor Roseberry Tree Service to remove the two coast redwood trees adjacent to the church's property as part of a major construction project by the church," Baker said in a statement.

"The church did not obtain any permits to remove the trees or contact the City regarding their plan to cut down the trees," Baker said.

Church officials could not be reached Thursday evening to comment for this report.

"The 45- to 55-foot redwoods were among several such trees, nearly 80 years old, that line the scenic Buena Vista Street neighborhood near the church's property at the intersection of Brookside Avenue and Buena Vista Street," Baker said.

City Hall offices were closed that day, a Friday, and police began receiving calls that the trees were being cut down, Baker said.

"By the time City code enforcement officers and other personnel arrived, the trees had already been removed and loaded onto trucks to be hauled away," Baker said.

"Code enforcement officers issued citations to the church and Roseberry Tree Service, for code violations in removing the trees," Baker said. "City staff later located the trees and took possession of them, confirming with a licensed arborist that the trees had not been dying or diseased prior to being cut down."

On Sept. 18, city council members discussed the church's removal of the trees and directed city staff "to negotiate with the church to restore the trees with replacements that would make the neighborhood whole," Baker said.

"If an agreement could not be reached with the church within two weeks, staff was directed to begin the process of revoking the church's Conditional Use Permit for construction of its sanctuary," Baker said.

Earlier this week, city staff and church representatives reached a tentative agreement to replace the trees with two 40- to 45-foot redwoods, Baker said.

Under the agreement, the city selected Valley Crest Tree Company of Calabasas and arranged for purchase, transportation, and planting of the trees, along with an 18-month warranty to ensure the trees continue to thrive, Baker said.

"The church agreed to pay all of the City's expenses associated with the replacement of the trees," Baker said.

As a result of the agreement, the city will not pursue revocation of the church's conditional use permit for construction of its sanctuary, Baker said. The city will dismiss the citation issued to the church, but the three citations issued to Roseberry Tree Service will not be dismissed.

"We are gratified that we could reach a satisfactory settlement quickly and especially that we will be able to restore the beauty of this historic and scenic neighborhood," Redlands Mayor Pete Aguilar said. "The representatives of the church have been very cooperative in coming to an agreement, and I believe that their regret is sincere over what they admit was a tremendous error on their part."

Baker said the agreement will be addressed during the next council meeting, Oct. 16.

Follow Redlands-Loma Linda Patch on Twitter and Facebook, and sign up for the free daily newsletter here.