Residents Protest Felling of About 700 Eucalyptus Trees : Environment: Oso Valley Greenbelt Assn. ordered the removal. Officials say trees were diseased, held threat of litigation and that it was a private matter anyway.

The felling of about 700 eucalyptus trees drew angry protests Tuesday night from homeowners in the Oso Valley Greenbelt Assn.

The protesters said the association’s board never notified owners of the community’s 2,614 homes that the trees would be cut down last month.

“We’re appalled and we’re sick over losing those trees,” resident James Farber said. “They were gone before we could do anything about it.”

Board members told the protesters Monday that some of the trees were sick and that some needed pruning, which is expensive for 70- to 80-foot trees.

“We got three professional opinions from certified arborists saying that many of the trees are diseased,” said Ginny Ledford, an administrator for CC&R; Properties, the association’s management company. “Some of them actually have fallen down on cars and homes.”

Ledford blamed developers who planted eucalyptus trees “because they grow fast, are pretty. They just wanted to sell homes.”

Last year, the same board approved the felling of about 1,600 trees in another section of the community, prompting an angry response from residents. The rancor spilled over into board meetings, and at least once, sheriff’s deputies had to be called, Ledford said.

Board members Tuesday disputed the residents’ estimate of the number of trees that had been felled this time, but refused to disclose the real number, saying that was a private matter between the board and the contractor.

“That’s private information,” board president George Rider said.

He also said residents could have known about the plans if they had attended board meetings.

“I’ve spent dozens and dozens of hours in open meetings on this,” Rider said. “I’m sorry you feel that it was secret. This was no secret.”

The board said they plan to replace the trees but haven’t decided when or with what.

The trees were in a hilly area in the southern area of the community. They were bounded by Oso Road, Felipe Road and Marguerite Parkway.

A third reason the trees were removed, Ledford said, was that they blocked some residents’ views of surrounding hillsides. That, she said, could lead to lawsuits against the homeowners association.

“The board weighed everything,” she said. “They decided that the trees were an economic liability.”

But resident Jack Autenrieb called it a “stupid decision.”

“I’m angered by the denuding of our slopes,” he told the board.

Farber criticized the board for having the trees removed at once rather than gradually, saying it might cause slope movement.

“The damage has been done,” Farber sad. “We must move to restore the beauty and soil integrity of our slopes.”