Petition to Save Sutter Trees
July 28, 2021
by Alan Hirsch aka the Davis Lorax Alan@davislorax.org
I hope people can help save Sutter trees by signing the change.org petition to support the appeal…and passing the petition on to your friends with a note: http://chng.it/mft8fNRGmF
This is the story in 7 bullet points:
- 205 trees to be cut at Sutter Hospital unless the Davis City Council affirms a citizen appeal.
- Hospital "saves on solar” by cutting trees instead of putting solar on roof, the empty lot north of the hospital, or the treeless parking lots north of clinic.
- City OKed Phase I of the Plan in 2019 without notifying the community.
- City claims tree cutting will “improve the neighborhood character.”
- Ignores science showing healing nature of a tree-filled environment.
- City illegally issued permit when it bypassed Tree Commission.
- Sutter may already be killing the trees now by stopping watering.
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Petition:
Save Sutter Davis Trees - End the Tree Removal Loophole
- Save Sutter Trees: There is an plan to clear cut 205 mature trees in the main parking lot of Sutter Hospital in West Davis and erect steel columns for solar panels. This approach ignores the positive healing effects of trees. If instead Sutter put the panels on roofs, in remote or back parking lots, or in the empty field immediately behind the hospital, very few mature trees would need be removed.
We can stop the Sutter project only with an appeal to the Davis City Council and should ask them why city staff acted quietly OK'ed the cutting of this small forest of trees with token notice to public at large or even the Tree Commission. - Close the Tree Removal Loophole for Developers & Landlords. Davis city staff can and does legally OK removal of protected trees at commercial site with no oversight. Contrast that with city process if a homeowner wants to remove a protected street tree in their front yard – they have a public notice posted in their front yard and then attend a hearing before the Tree Commission. WHY IS IT OK for city staff to OK removal of a single tree, much less a forest of legal protected trees like at Sutter, without any review? Unlike the homeowner, the developers voluntarily agree to plant and maintain and/or preserve trees as a legally enforceable initial condition of development. But then it seems this condition can be undone quietly by city staff with no review or notice after the fact.
- End Commercial & Apartment Complex Tree Abuse: Landlords can kill legally protected trees through neglect with no consequences. This is just a slow motion plan to remove them. Change the law to fix this situation which the city has neglected for decades – with particular impact to low income dwellers of apartments.
Please do not cut down the trees in the Sutter parking lot. As a Sutter patient I appreciate their shade. Tree-shaded parking lots were one of the most notable positive things I found on moving here to the hot Sacramento Valley. Place the solar panels elsewhere.
Posted by: Elisabeth Robbins | July 28, 2021 at 12:12 PM
Please do not cut down the trees in the Sutter Hospital parking lot. Tree-shaded parking lots are a very positive part of the overall Davis city environment that my family and I fully enjoyed after moving here to be with family 11 years ago.
PLEASE place the solar panels in another location were so anytrees need NOT be destroyed..
Posted by: allen bohnert | July 28, 2021 at 07:27 PM
Please do not destroy any of the trees.
We need our trees for our health and wellbeing.
Just reading about the destruction of rainforests ( which of course kills off beautiful amazing wildlfe) is enough to cause depression and everything that goes with it including loss of hope.
So the trees in a hospital parking lot might get destroyed too?? So the parkimg lot will just be a forest of carbon monoxide? Trees brings peace and joy to a person. This in turn helps a person stay healthier. Trees also gives life to birds and beautiful squirrels.
I'm thinking about that one little baby bird whose parents get killed after the destruction of a Sutter tree. Is anyone else thinking about that bird too?
😩
Posted by: Rachel Sheehan | August 17, 2021 at 07:49 PM
Please reconsider if destroying the trees is necessary rather than simply convenient. If the solar can be placed elsewhere then the shade and other environmental benefits of the trees can be maintained.
Thank you for your consideration.
Posted by: J. Rockwell | August 21, 2021 at 09:49 AM
Davis City Council, Don’t allow Sutter cut down trees. Trees are the earth’s 02 generator. Sutter has plenty of parking areas, so get them to put them on shade structures over their parking lots. They can use the ones between the High School and Veterans Center as models for the hospital’s solar. I’m all in favor of solar, but not at the expense of trees. We have solar panels on our roof and they power our electric car as well as air conditioner and more. But Don’t Cut Down the Trees!
Posted by: Katharine Kingston | August 28, 2021 at 03:58 PM