Office of the City Manager INFORMATION CALENDAR June 23, 2009

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Deirdre Allen
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Office of the City Manager To: From: Submitted by: Subject: INFORMATION CALENDAR June 23, 2009 Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council Philip Kamlarz, City Manager William Rogers, Director,

1 Office of the City Manager To: From: Submitted by: Subject: INFORMATION CALENDAR June 23, 2009 Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council Philip Kamlarz, City Manager William Rogers, Director, Parks, Recreation & Waterfront List of Street Trees INTRODUCTION On October 28, 2008, Council referred to the Parks and Recreation Commission a request to propose a list of street trees suitable for planting that will not grow up into the PG&E lines to prevent the mutilation and hideous pruning of our street trees. In response to this referral, staff prepared a report to the Parks and Recreation Commission on March 23 rd, 2009 outlining the current criteria for selecting street tree species in planting strips, the City s current tree planting practices, and a list of street tree species currently used by the City s Forestry Division. CURRENT SITUATION AND ITS EFFECTS The City currently maintains 40,000 street trees located within the parkway planting strip in the public right-of-way. In certain cases, street trees that were planted several decades ago have grown into the PG&E power lines, requiring line-clearing trimming by PG&E, also known as v-trimming, which can result in a significant alteration of the natural canopy of the tree. Forestry Division staff have found that the larger varieties of Ash, Elm, Eucalyptus, Maple, Oak, and Sycamore have been more likely to grow into power lines and thus are more likely to be the recipients of line-clearing trimming. Staff have met with PG&E over the past several years to address this issue. Despite these efforts, PG&E maintains that they have funding to perform line-clearing only, which is the minimum requirement of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). As a result, they do not have funding to perform supplemental aesthetic pruning. Since 1995, the Forestry Division has used the following site criteria and the attached list of tree species as a guide for planting the most appropriate street trees that preserve the aesthetic character of the City s streets and neighborhoods while minimizing tree growth that interferes with existing utility lines or other lines and structures in the public right-of-way: 1) the width of the parkway planting strip; 2) the locations of fire hydrants, traffic signs and lights, street lights, utility and other service lines (overhead and underground), 3) storm drains; and 4) the types and sizes of other street trees in the area. In addition, Forestry staff consider traffic flow and visibility for motorists, bicyclists, pedestrians and wheelchair users; the proximity to special use areas such as schools; and community input that promotes stewardship of street trees by local residents Milvia Street, Berkeley, CA Tel: (510) TDD: (510) Fax: (510) manager@ci.berkeley.ca.us Website:

2 List of Street Trees INFORMATION CALENDAR June 23, 2009 When a City street tree is removed because of safety or other factors, it is replaced with a suitable species from the attached list. When planting new street trees under utility lines, the Forestry Division chooses only those species suitable for parkway strips between two and four feet in width and those species that do not grow over 20 feet in height (see pages 1 and 2 of the attached list). This practice results in trees that require minimal alteration of the natural canopy if and when line-clearing is needed. CONTACT PERSON Susan Ferrera, Parks Superintendent, Attachments: 1: Street Tree List

3 Attachment 1 STREET TREE LIST City-approved species for planting in the parkway planting strip (City right-of-way) Approved Species for Parkway Strips Between 2' and 4' in Width No. Scientific Name Common Name Type Spacing Height Spread 1 Acer buergeranum Trident Maple Deciduous 25' to 30' 25' 25' 2 Acer campestre 'Queen Elizabeth' Hedge Maple 'Queen Elizabeth' Deciduous 25' to 30' 30' 25' 3 Acer palmatum Japanese Maple Deciduous 25' to 30' 20' 25' 4 Carpinus betulus European Hornbeam Deciduous 25' to 30' 30' 25' 5 Cassia leptophylla Gold Medallion Tree Deciduous 25' to 30' 25' 25' 6 Chilopsis linearis Desert Willow Deciduous 25' to 30' 25' 25' 7 Chionanthus retusa Chinese Fringe Tree Deciduous 20' to 25' 20' 20' 8 Crataegus phaenopyrum Washington Hawthorn Deciduous 25' to 30' 25' 30' 9 Geijera parviflora Australian Willow Evergreen 25' to 30' 30' 25' 10 Jacaranda mimosifolia Jacaranda Deciduous 30' to 35' 30' 30' 11 Koelreuteria bipinnata Chinese Flame Tree Deciduous 30' to 35' 30' 30' 12 Koelreuteria paniculata Golden Rain Tree Deciduous 30' to 35' 30' 30' 13 Lagerstroemia x fauriei 'Biloxi' Pink Crape Myrtle 'Biloxi' Deciduous 25' to 30' 30' 20' Lagerstroemia x fauriei 'Muskogee' Lavender Crape Myrtle 'Muskogee' Deciduous 25' to 30' 30' 20' Lagerstroemia x fauriei 'Natchez' White Crape Myrtle 'Natchez' Deciduous 25' to 30' 30' 20' Lagerstroemia x fauriei 'Tuscarora' Coral Crape Myrtle 'Tuscarora' Deciduous 25' to 30' 30' 20' 17 Laurus nobilis 'Saratoga' Sweet Bay 'Saratoga' Evergreen 25' to 30' 40' 20' Magnolia grandiflora 'Little Gem' Southern Magnolia 'Little Gem' Evergreen 20' to 25' 25' 15' Magnolia grandifloria 'Saint Mary' Southern Magnolia 'Saint Mary' Evergreen 20' to 25' 20' 15' Magnolia soulangeana 'Alexandrina' Saucer Magnolia 'Alexandrina' Deciduous 25' to 30' 25' 25' Page 1 of 4

4 21 Nyssa sylvatica Sourgum Deciduous 25' to 30' 30' 25' 22 Pistacia chinensis Chinese Pistache Deciduous 30' to 35' 40' 30' 23 Pittospouum undulatum Victorian Box Evergreen 35' to 40' 40' 30' 24 Podocarpus gracilior African Fern Pine Evergreen 25' to 30' 30' 20' 25 Prunus blireiana Pink Flowing Plum Deciduous 25' to 30' 25' 20' Prunus cerasifera 'Krauter Vesuvius' Purple Leaf Plum 'Krauter Veruvius' Deciduous 25' to 30' 20' 20' Prunus cerasifera 'Thundercloud' Purple Leaf Plum 'Thundercloud' Deciduous 25' to 30' 20' 20' 28 Prunus yedoensis 'Akebono' Akebono Flowering Cherry Deciduous 25' to 30' 25' 25' 29 Pyrus calleryana 'Aristocrat' Aristocrat Flowering Pear Deciduous 25' to 30' 25' 20' 30 Pyrus cllereryana 'Chanticleer' Chanticleer Flowering Pear Deciduous 20' to 25' 35' 15' 31 Pyrus kawakamii Evergreen Pear Evergreen 25' to 30' 25' 20' 32 Rhus lancea African Sumac Evergreen 30' to 35' 30' 25' 33 Sophora japonica 'Regent' Japanese Pagoda Tree Deciduous 30' to 35' 30' 25' 34 Tipuana tipu Tipu Tree Deciduous 30' to 35' 40' 25' 35 Tristania laurina Tristania 'Laurina' Evergreen 25' to 30' 25' 20' 36 Tristania laurina 'Elegant' Tristania 'Elegant' Evergreen 25' to 30' 25' 20' Approved Species for Parkway Strips Between 4' and 6' in Width No. Scientific Name Common Name Type Spacing Height Spread 1 Acer rubrum 'October Glory' Red Maple 'October Glory' Deciduous 35' to 40' 40' 30' 2 Acer rubrum 'Red Sunset' Red Maple 'Red Sunset' Deciduous 35' to 40' 40' 30' 3 Aesculus carnea Red Horsechestnut Deciduous 35' to 40' 40' 30' 4 Alnus cordata Italian Alder Deciduous 30' to 35' 40' 25' 5 Chitalpa tashkentensis Chitalpa Deciduous 30' to 35' 30' 30' Chitalpa tashkentensis 6 'Morning Cloud' Morning Cloud Chitalpa Deciduous 30' to 35' 30' 30' Chitalpa tashkentensis 'Pink 7 Dawn' Pink Dawn Chitalpa Deciduous 30' to 35' 30' 30' Page 2 of 4

5 8 Fraxinus americana 'Junginger' Autumn Purple Ash Deciduous 35' to 40' 45' 40' 9 Fraxinus oxycarpa 'Raywood' Raywood Ash Deciduous 30' to 35' 30' 25' 10 Ginkgo biloba 'Saratoga' Ginkgo Tree 'Saratoga' Deciduous 30' to 35' 35' 30' Gleditsia triacanthos inermis 11 'Shademaster' Shademaster Honey Locust Deciduous 35' to 40' 40' 30' Magnolia grandiflora 'Majestic 12 Beauty' Southern Magnolia 'Majestic Beauty' Evergreen 35' to 40' 40' 35' 13 Magnolia grandiflora 'Russet' Southern Magnolia 'Russet' Evergreen 30' to 35' 40' 30' Magnolia grandiflora 'Samuel 14 Sommers' Southern Magnolia 'Samuel Sommers' Evergreen 35' to 40' 40' 35' 15 Pittosporum undulatum Victorian Box Evergreen 35' to 40' 40' 30' 16 Tristania conferta Brisbane Box Evergreen 35' to 40' 40' 35' 17 Ulmus hybrid 'Frontier' Frontier Elm Deciduous 35' to 40' 45' 40' 18 Ulmus parvifolia 'Emeri' Athena Elm Deciduous 35' to 40' 40' 40' Approved Species for Parkway Strips Over 6' in Width No. Scientific Name Common Name Type Spacing Height Spread 1 Arbutus 'Marina' Arbutus 'Marina' Evergreen 30' to 35' 40' 30' 2 Ginkgo biloba 'Autumn Gold' Ginkgo 'Autumn Gold' Deciduous 35' to 40' 45' 35' Platanus acerifolia 3 'Bloodgood' London Plane 'Bloodgood' Deciduous 40' to 45' 80' 40' 4 Platanus acerifolia 'Columbia' London Plane 'Columbia' Deciduous 40' to 45' 80' 40' 5 Platanus acerifolia 'Yarwood' London Plane 'Yarwood' Deciduous 40' to 45' 80' 40' 6 Quercus agrifolia Coast Live Oak Evergreen 40' to 45' 60' 60' 7 Quercus coccinea Scarlet Oak Deciduous 40' to 45' 50' 40' 8 Quercus ilex Holly Oak Evergreen 35' to 40' 40' 35' 9 Quercus rubra Red Oak Deciduous 40' to 45' 50' 40' 10 Quercus shumardii Shumard Oak Deciduous 40' to 45' 50' 40' 11 Schinus terebinthifolius Brazilian Pepper Evergreen 35' to 40' 30' 30' 12 Ulmus hybrid 'Liberty' Liberty Elm Deciduous 45' to 50' 80' 50' Zelkova serrata 'Village 13 Green' Sawleaf Zelkova 'Village Green' Deciduous 35' to 40' 40' 35' Page 3 of 4

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