Board of Appeals orders monitoring, cabling and branch removal for 600 Alvarado trees

The San Francisco Board of Appeals voted 5-0 on Oct. 19, 2022 to grant an appeal by the 600 Alvarado Street homeowners association and impose conditions short of removing two Monterey cypress trees. The board ordered the Bureau of Urban Forestry (BUFF) to annually monitor the trees and report to the HOA, to install a cable between the two main stems of the street tree in consultation with the HOA's arborist, and to remove a decayed stub and a dying branch from the street tree.

The appeal (identified in the hearing material as 20Two-sixty5) sought permission to remove two large Monterey cypress trees — one partly in the public right of way and one on private property within 10 feet of the right of way — after private arborists reported internal decay. Appellant Naomi Strutzel, speaking for the 600 Alvarado homeowners association, described two arborist reports including a resistograph/sonic tomography assessment and said the reports recommended either removal or, if retained, additional cabling and annual monitoring. "[W]e would feel comfort with the replacement of the cable by the city and also the removal of the dead branch," Strutzel told the board.

BUFF Urban Forester Chris Buck testified that the department had inspected the trees, reviewed the private reports and concluded the trees did not meet BUFF's criteria for removal at this time. Buck acknowledged decay and said BUFF often finds the same defects identified by private arborists, but emphasized a higher citywide risk threshold and the bureau's experience managing San Francisco's urban canopy. "We just do not believe that the trees meet the criteria for removal at this point in time," Buck said, while agreeing that annual monitoring and closer communication with the HOA could reduce risk.

Commissioners framed the case as a dispute between expert judgments. Several members said they were sympathetic to the HOA's safety concerns but also deferred to BUFF's experience managing tree risk across the city. After discussion, President Rick Swig moved to grant the appeal with the three conditions described above; Vice President Jose Lopez and the other commissioners voted aye.

The board and BUFF also discussed technical tools used by private arborists, such as resistograph and sonic tomography testing. Buck said the city has used those technologies only occasionally and that interpretation requires training; he indicated BUFF would consider additional testing and would work with the HOA's arborist on cabling specifications.

Public commenters offered mixed views: an attendee said recent permits and renovations at the property raised concerns about motives for tree removal, while another urged following the city's recommendation and protecting the native trees. In rebuttal, Strutzel denied the HOA sought to develop the front yard and said the timing of the private assessments, not recent renovations, explained why the defects were found when they were.

What the order requires and next steps: the board's order directs BUFF to perform annual inspections of the two subject trees and to report findings to the HOA; BUFF also agreed to install a support cable between the two main stems of the street tree (working with the HOA's arborist on the appropriate specification) and to remove the decayed stub and dying branch. The board clarified the order does not authorize removal of the trees. BUFF staff said they expect monitoring to be frequent and to include additional checks if HOA members report new concerns.

Votes at a glance from Oct. 19 meeting

• Appeal 20Two-sixty5 (600 Alvarado Street) — Outcome: Appeal granted with conditions (annual BUFF monitoring and reporting to the appellant; BUFF to install a cable between the two main stems of the street tree; BUFF to remove a decayed stub and dying branch). Vote: 5-0.

• Housekeeping continuation — Appeal at 145 Jefferson Street (item 6) was continued to Dec. 7, 2022 to allow the Planning Department to file a late brief due Dec. 1, 2022, 4:30 p.m. The board voted 5-0 to continue.

• Appeal 20Two-fifty2 (33120 Eighth Avenue, permit no. 202207118177) — Outcome: Appeal granted; the board voted 5-0 to revoke the permit after inspections by DBI and Planning and with the appellant's agreement.

The board did not set a date for follow-up beyond the routine annual monitoring required by the order; BUFF must report its monitoring findings to the appellant as directed by the order.