More trees have been cut down in Point Loma. First the palm trees on upper Newport Avenue – and now eucalyptus trees at Liberty Station. And some Point Loma residents are upset.
Point Loman Alex Loker spoke to 10News last week and said on Wednesday, June 2m two large eucalyptus trees near the entrance of Liberty Station were taken down:
“These trees have been here easily for 100 years. They’re about 150 feet tall, and there’s no replacing that as kind of our gate guards into the entrance of Liberty Station.”
“At first, we thought and hoped that they were just trimming them and then they topped them. They took off the top, which meant that these trees were coming down.”
Loker told the news station that she spoke to the tree service company who told her the trees were healthy but were hired to take them down.
Loker was also upset that the community wasn’t informed and had no voice in the process – much like neighbors on the hill in Point Loma when the city took down 5 healthy palm trees. She said:
“We have a really responsive and involved community here in Point Loma. So, there was unfortunately just no community involvement at all. If they’re going to take down the trees we’d like to know why and we’d like to be involved in that process.”
Loker also stated:
“We just hope that it stops here and they don’t continue with the grove to our east. Because these trees are important for noise abatement and pollution and also because they look beautiful and are a part of Liberty Station’s history.”
ABC 10News reached out to Liberty Station about the cutting of the trees and were sent the following:
“To ensure the safety of visitors, tenants and property, Liberty Station made the decision, with the guidance of its tree service provider and certified arborist, to remove the trees which have outgrown their locations and now pose an unacceptable threat. Liberty Station was made aware of possible tree failure that unfortunately could not be managed through trimming and maintenance.
As beautiful fixtures of Liberty Station for years, sections of the timber will be repurposed on-site and segments will be donated to tenants in the Arts District to create furniture, art pieces, and materials for a community garden.”
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
What does it mean that “Liberty Station” decided to cut down the trees? Who is “Liberty Station?”
I believe a non-profit manages the property.
Eucalyptus trees are brittle and notorious killers due to falling branches. When they can be properly maintained and are not overhanging areas where there are people they can be tolerated but take constant, expensive upkeep to maintain safety.
Ask Carlsbad, which is saddled with their infamous Hosp Grove. There is a city crew out there almost every day.
The only historical thing about these Australian imports is that they were initially planted to supply wood for railroad ties (fast growing and take little water). Unfortunately the brittleness of the wood made them unsuitable for the application, so we are left with one more invasive non-native plant species.
The only redeeming quality is that San Diego can feed their Koalas.