Oak Tree Permit to Be Modified for Builder

A developer has won permission to remove or move 31 young oak trees from a Newbury Park tract.

The Thousand Oaks City Council voted 3 to 2 to let city officials process a request by Raznick Community Builders to modify their oak tree permit. Councilwomen Linda Parks and Elois Zeanah opposed the change.

Thousand Oaks has a strict ordinance to preserve its namesake trees, requiring developers to transplant large oaks whenever possible and plant new trees to replace those that must be removed. Property owners who want to alter the trees on their land need to secure an oak tree permit from the city.

The previous owner of the Raznick property, located near Reino Road and Kimber Drive, had received an oak tree permit to remove and transplant some trees in the 1980s.

Since then, however, acorns and saplings have grown into 31 newly discovered young oaks--trees that now qualify for protection under the city’s oak tree ordinance.

Because of that, Raznick asked for permission to either transplant or remove them and any other oaks the builder finds as workers continue to clear brush from the site.