Beginning on February 25, the City will remove four mature Eucalyptus trees and one Monterey Pine tree located in upper Dracena Park near the intersection of Park Way and Dracena Ave. These trees are being removed because they pose a significant fall risk and could endanger public safety. This removal was recommended in the report of an independent arborist which assessed seventeen Eucalyptus trees in Dracena Park. The report provided an assessment of tree health and structural conditions, assessment of tree risk, and management recommendations for these and other trees in the park. The Park Commission was notified of the pending removal at its regular meeting on December 2, 2018.
The work is scheduled to begin on February 25, 2019 and will last for approximately two to three weeks. To ensure the safety of the surrounding neighborhood and park users, a section of upper Dracena Park will be closed for the duration of the work. Though inconvenient, this closure is necessary to ensure public safety during the tree removal.
Tree removal work will be undertaken weekdays between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. The removal is expected to generate substantial dust and noise. As part of the removal process, a tree chipper and crane will be on site and our contractors will need to maintain safe zones around the equipment. In addition, to allow safe operation of equipment related to the tree removal, Dracena Ave. between Park Way and Blair Ave will be closed to through traffic and parking will be prohibited on this block during work hours. Street parking will also be prohibited on Park Way adjacent to Dracena Park. Signs will be posted to define no parking zone. Traffic controls will be in place and staff will be on site to assist residents with access to their homes.
Please drive carefully in this area and respect all traffic instructions as this will assist us in completing the project as soon as possible.
If you have any questions about this or have any special circumstances that the City should be aware of, please contact Parks & Project Manager Nancy Kent at (510) 420-3064 or (510) 406-6342 or via email at nkent@piedmont.ca.gov. You may also contact Public Works Supervisor Dave Frankel at (510) 207-2114 or via email at dfrankel@piedmont.ca.gov.