HomeMy WebLinkAboutArborist ReportArbor Care, Inc.
arboricultural consulting & plant health care
Michael Crane: ISA Board Certified Master Arborist #WE6643B, ASCA Registered Consulting Arborist #440
mail@ArborCareInc.net
DATE: May 9, 2026
TO: City of Arcadia Planning Division
240 W. Huntington Drive, P.O. Box 60021
Arcadia, CA 91007
FROM: Michael Crane
Arbor Care, Inc.
SUBJECT: 1150 W. Colorado Blvd. – Addendum to Protected Tree Report
Removal of: 26” Deodar Cedar (Tree #49)
16” Deodar Cedar (non-inventoried)
40” Coast Redwood (Tree #52)
Refer to original Protected Tree Report dated April 2024.
The plans to construct the parking lot along the north side of the property call for a
retaining wall to be built along the entire north property line, five feet from the
boundary line. The retaining wall will be several feet tall and will require
excavation all the way to the boundary line to build it and waterproof the back side.
The Three Protected and one non-protected trees are in the area of required
excavation and are all planned for removal. The root crown of each tree occupies at
least four feet of the five-foot-wide space between the boundary line and the back
side of the planned wall. The over-excavation required to properly waterproof the
wall will encroach into each tree’s root crown, which would eliminate all structural
roots on the south side, as well as 50% or more of the total root mass. The trees
would be considered structurally unstable and highly likely to fail; and the loss of
root mass alone would likely send them into irreversible decline.
The project team evaluated three alternatives to preserve the existing trees, with
particular focus on Tree #52. The first alternate design was to relocate the drive
aisle to allow for more room for tree #52. This wasn’t feasible because the drive
aisle is already at its minimum 26” width to meet fire lane requirements and cannot
be narrowed. The second alternative was to relocate the upper retaining wall to
reduce root impact both on the Deodar Cedars along the street and Tree #52. This
wasn’t feasible because the upper retaining wall must hold its current alignment to
preserve street-side grade for the sidewalk and new street trees. The required wall
footing falls at the base of Tree #52, leaving no room to shift the wall without
compromising the streetscape design. The third alternative was to install the new
retaining wall around Tree #52 to preserve the existing grade. This design is
feasible in plan view but fails in section. The 2.6’ grade drop, combined with over-
excavation for the adjacent roadway’s asphalt base courses and the footing depth of
any new retaining wall behind the proposed curb would sever over 50% of the
critical root zone. This degree of encroachment into the tree’s root plate would
significantly compromise its stability, making the tree a high risk of failure.
The design of the wall must remain in its current alignment to replace the existing
structure while maintaining adjacent sidewalk elevations and overall site grading
without introducing excessive retaining wall heights. Based on these constraints,
removal of the three Protected and one non-protected trees is necessary to allow for
a code-compliant and constructible solution.
The three Protected trees planned for removal are: Tree #49, a 26” Deodar Cedar
(Cedrus deodara), which appears to be in fair to poor health, showing symptoms of
advanced branch dieback and poor foliage density; a 16” Deodar Cedar that was
erroneously not included in the original tree inventory, which appears to be in good
health; and Tree #52, a Coast Redwood (Sequioa sempervirens), which appears to
be in fair to poor health, showing symptoms of poor foliage density and color, with
no new shoot growth. This tree was originally listed in 2019 as being iin poor
condition, having sparse foliage density, and poor shoot growth, wound defense and
vigor. It has visibly declined much more since then. Additionally, a non-protected,
8” Deodar Cedar identified in the tree survey as Tree #51 will be removed. All three
Protected Trees will be adequately mitigated in the planned landscape design; with
some mitigation trees installed along Colorado Blvd, where the existing trees are
located with medium-sized species that can succeed in the narrow, approximately
five-foot-wide soil volume between the wall and sidewalk.
Tree #52 is planned to be mitigated at 1:1 with a Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia)
of a 60” box size installed in the same approximate location. The 60” box is the
largest commonly found nursery tree and a nursery grown tree will have good
structure and no defects according to nursery standards. The nursery-grown tree
will have the best chance for long-term success. The two Protected Deodar Cedars
will be mitigated at 2:1 with four Chinese Pistache (Pistacia chinensis) of 36” box
size. The Chinese Pistache trees will be planted in the five-foot-wide strip between
the retaining wall and sidewalk. The mitigation plan is attached with this letter.
Mitigation trees should be planted in the late stages of the property redevelopment,
during the landscape installation phase for the best chance of success.
I have attached photos to illustrate the subject trees and their conditions. A site
plan is also attached which identifies the alternative design options that were
considered as well as illustrations showing the scope of the planned encroachments
that justify the tree removals.
Sincerely,
Michael Crane
ABOVE: Looking northeast at the non-protected Deodar cedar (Tree #51; the
non-inventoried Protected Deodar Cedar and the Coast Redwood (Tree #52),
which are planned for removal. Tree #52 has poor crown density and no
new shoot growth. BELOW: Looking north at Tree #49, which is planned for
removal. It has advanced branch dieback and poor crown density.
49
Non-inventoried
16” Deodar Cedar
52 51
ABOVE: Looking west along the north property line adjacent to
Colorado Blvd. The retaining wall will be built five feet from the
property line and require excavation all the way to that line. BELOW:
Looking east along the north property line. The grade where Tree #52
is located will be lowered by several feet.
52
Non-inventoried
16” Deodar Cedar
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DATE:
THE IVY
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ARCADIA, CA
REVISIONS
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FILE NAME: G:\Shared drives\BLOCS\Projects\2023\23-09 Arcadia - Oakmont\Landscape\24-09_Tree Disposition.dwgDATE / TIME OF PLOT (PST): 5/8/2026 9:39 AM
PROJECT
BLOCS DESIGN GROUP, PC
3800 MAYBELLE AVE. UNIT 6
OAKLAND, CA 94619
916 716 9331
HELLO@BLOCS.DESIGN
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DATE:
23-09
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DEVELOPMENT
3 PARK PLACE, SUITE 1920
IRVINE, CA 92614
949 744 5220
THE IVY
AT ARCADIA
ARCADIA, CA
REVISIONS
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FILE NAME: G:\Shared drives\BLOCS\Projects\2023\23-09 Arcadia - Oakmont\Landscape\23-09_Planting.dwgDATE / TIME OF PLOT (PST): 5/14/2026 2:38 PM
SHEET NUMBER
SHEET TITLE
CLIENT
PROJECT
BLOCS DESIGN GROUP, PC
3800 MAYBELLE AVE. UNIT 6
OAKLAND, CA 94619
916 716 9331
HELLO@BLOCS.DESIGN
04.10.2026
L
ICEN S E D L A N D S CAPE AR
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OF C A L I F O R NIA
BLAKE
TOMILL O S O -R H I N EHART LICE
N
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6
2
5
5SIGNATURE
RENEWAL DATE
DATE
8.31.26
4.10.26
1 CCD 001 01/09/2026
2 CCD 003 04/10/2026
L3.01
PLANTING PLAN
EX. UNPROTECTED TREE
TO REMAIN, PROTECT IN PLACE,
REFER TO SHEETS L0.01 & L0.02
EX. PROTECTED TREE
TO REMAIN, PROTECT IN PLACE,
REFER TO SHEETS L0.01 & L0.02,
TREE#29-31
EX. PROTECTED TREE
TO REMAIN, PROTECT IN PLACE,
REFER TO SHEETS L0.01 & L0.02,
TREE#27
EX. PROTECTED TREE
TO REMAIN, PROTECT IN PLACE,
REFER TO SHEET TD-1 & 2, TREE#2-3
EX. PROTECTED TREE
TO REMAIN, PROTECT IN PLACE,
REFER TO SHEETS L0.01 & L0.02, TREE#56
EX. OFF-SITE UNPROTECTED TREE
TO REMAIN, PROTECT IN PLACE,
REFER TO SHEETS L0.01 & L0.02, TREE#73-76
EX. PROTECTED TREE
TO REMAIN, PROTECT IN PLACE,
REFER TO SHEET SHEETS
L0.01 & L0.02, TREE#36
EX. UNPROTECTED TREE
TO REMAIN, PROTECT IN PLACE,
REFER TO SHEETS L0.01 & L0.02
EX. UNPROTECTED TREE
TO REMAIN, PROTECT IN PLACE,
REFER TO SHEETS L0.01 & L0.02
EX. UNPROTECTED TREE
TO REMAIN, PROTECT IN PLACE,
REFER TO SHEETS L0.01 & L0.02
EX. UNPROTECTED TREE
TO BE REMOVED,
REFER TO SHEETS L0.01 & L0.02 TREE 51
EX. PROTECTED TREE
TO BE REMOVED,
REFER TO SHEETS L0.01 & L0.02, TREE#49
EX. PROTECTED TREE
TO REMAIN, PROTECT IN PLACE,
REFER TO SHEETS L0.01 & L0.02, TREE#44-43
EX. UNPROTECTED TREE
TO REMAIN, PROTECT IN
PLACE, REFER TO
SHEETS L0.01 & L0.02
TREE PROTECTION FENCE,
REFER TO SHEET SHEETS L0.01 & L0.02
TREE PROTECTION FENCE,
REFER TO SHEETS L0.01 & L0.02
TREE PROTECTION FENCE,
REFER TO SHEETS L0.01 & L0.02
TREE PROTECTION FENCE,
REFER TO SHEET SHEETS L0.01 & L0.02
TREE PROTECTION FENCE,
REFER TO SHEET SHEETS L0.01 & L0.02
EX. PROTECTED TREE
TO BE REMOVED,
REFER TO SHEETS L0.01 & L0.02, TREE#52
EX. PROTECTED TREE
TO BE REMOVED,
REFER TO SHEETS L0.01 & L0.02 TREE 51