Mayor Hopes Push to Plant Trees Takes Root
Mayor Alice Jempsa wants to revive the city’s diminishing tree population.
After noticing that several trees have been removed because they were diseased or to make way for new construction or sidewalk repair, Jempsa said it’s time to replant.
“The trees have been a concern for quite some time,” she said. On one block in the Greenbrook neighborhood, “there are 14 houses and four trees. This is rather typical.”
Responding to requests from real estate agents and citizens, the mayor and Councilwoman Marilynn M. Poe said that more trees will help maintain property values and improve the city’s appearance.
Jempsa expects city staff members to report on the matter at the Nov. 10 council meeting.
Poe collected information on urban reforestation at a recent League of California Cities meeting that also might be used.
The hope, officials said, is to find species that are suitable for the near-coastal region and will not buckle the sidewalks. A citizen committee might be formed to research the issue.
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