Protesters Rally Around Old Oak Tree

A developer’s plans to ax an oak believed to be more than 300 years old would cut deep into the historical roots of a Santa Clarita Valley town, opponents to the plan said Saturday.

During a “memorial service” for the tree that stands where a Circle K convenience store is scheduled for construction in Canyon Country, about 35 conservation advocates prayed, quoted Sioux warrior Sitting Bull’s statements of affection for oaks and recalled the heritage of which the tree is part.

“This tree is almost a symbol of California--almost as much a symbol as the grizzly bear on the flag,” said Michael Lyons, who is a member of the Santa Clarita Valley’s planning advisory committee to the Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commission.

“There are no more grizzly bears in California--the last one was shot in 1916 in this valley. I’m concerned about the same fate for these trees,” Lyons said to those gathered under the oak, adorned with a yellow ribbon.

The tree, along with seven younger oaks, is scheduled to be removed to make way for a 28,020-square-foot shopping center along Soledad Canyon Road, where condominiums, video rental outlets and pool supply stores are sprouting.

The controversy has attracted attention because the oak falls short of protection under a proposed amendment to the county’s oak ordinance. The amendment bans the removal of heritage oaks except in instances of “compelling public need.”

Under the amendment, an oak qualifies for heritage status if it has a girth of at least 36 inches at 4 1/2 feet above ground.

The tree’s girth varies, however, depending on how it is measured. John Shea, the county planning officer handling the case, said an application for removal of the tree had listed its trunk at 42 inches. A landscaper hired by the developer, LA Pico Construction of Beverly Hills, said the trunk measured 35 1/2 inches. The conservationists, meanwhile, have another figure.

“We measured it at just under 36 inches--35.97 inches, to be exact,” Dorothy Riely, protest organizer, said. “I think you should be able to round off to the nearest even number. Even the IRS allows you to do that.”

She objected that the Santa Clarita Valley has lost “thousand and thousands of oaks in the last five years because developers come in and say there are 800 trees on their land, and they want to take out 400.”

The county’s planning staff is recommending that the old oak be retained and has asked the developer to redesign the shopping center to accommodate it, Shea said. The matter is scheduled to come Tuesday before a county planning department hearing officer.

An expert has estimated the tree’s age at more than 300 years old, the conservationists said. They said its boughs span 86 inches, and Shea said that because of its low-slung branches, the oak is “more a grove than a single tree.”

The developer noted that the tree falls short of the proposed limit.

“It’s just like the 55 limit. You can’t get a ticket for driving 54 m.p.h.,” Joseph Kashani, vice president of LA Pico Construction, said. “Just because you’re close to the limit doesn’t mean you can be caught.”

Kashani said he is reluctant to redesign the shopping center because his company has spent one year and $200,000 designing it. He said his company will follow existing law by planting two saplings for each oak removed.