Save a healthy Torrey Pine – Come to tonight’s Planning Board meeting.

If you care about Torrey Pines, trees in general, our environment, the natural beauty of OB – please attend tonight’s (Wednesday, Jan. 5th) Ocean Beach Planning Board meeting.

A solitary Torrey Pine – located at 4633 Long Branch Avenue – is on the agenda. It’s healthy – yet it grows at a slant. It’s majestic – yet its roots have grown and expanded enough to crack the sidewalk and a nearby retaining wall.

The City of San Diego Street Division wants to chop it down.

Local activists and the OB Rag have led the fight to save the 80 year old tree.

We now have a certified arborist’s report that the tree is healthy and stable. This report will be presented at tonight’s meeting, which begins at 6pm at the OB Rec Center, 4726 Santa Monica Avenue.

A month ago, the City gave its presentation to the Board – declaring the tree is a hazard and needs to be cut down. The Board decided it needed more information and gave the parties 30 days to come forward with additional evaluations of the tree and alternatives to its removal.

The sidewalk repair needs to occur, but it can be done without harming the tree or its roots. The City has done this over on Saratoga Avenue – 3 blocks away – with other Torrey Pines on that block.

Here are some facts:

• The Torrey Pine is healthy and stable. It simply grows at a slant.
• It did not move or change during the recent highly windy storms.
• Torrey Pines are known to grow at a slant.
• Torrey Pines are a protected species here in San Diego – it is illegal to harm or kill them.
• In the wild, Torrey Pines can live to be 200 years old.

Tagged as: Torrey Pine