+ City Council for faster reponse
On Wed, Nov 7, 2018 at 1:03 PM striffler
wrote:
> https://share.icloud.com/photos/0MgF4wSrEWc90UrIe7Wo-_9lA#Menlo_Park_-_The_Willows
[https://share.icloud.com/photos/0MgF4wSrEWc90UrIe7Wo-_9lA#Menlo_Park_-_The_Willows]
City,
The Developer next door is using an augur to dig right next to our heritage tree and does not have the required 10 foot fence
surrounding our tree. They are supposed to be hand-digging. Can you send someone over there asap, please?
Alex408-368-3652 [tel:(408)%20368-3652]
On Fri, Jul 27, 2018 at 9:05 AM striffler wrote:
> Mark and team, I don’t want to be considered a Boy who Cries Wolf, but this is critical especially during initial groundbreaking.
Having said that, my wife spoke to The developer and he confirmed he was only moving the back hoe, not using it to dig under the
canopy.
Therefore the situation is not as dire as my previous email implied. And perhaps the city may only want to give a courtesy call to
him to remind him to keep heavy equipment out from under the canopy?
Thanks again for your support in protecting the heritage trees and “keeping the peace.”
Best,
Alex
On Fri, Jul 27, 2018 at 8:57 AM striffler wrote:
> Mark, Thank you. I don’t understand why they would have the fences so close when the Arborist report requires them to dig by hand
under the canopy.
They are digging with a backhoe right now which goes against City and Arborist rules.
Please help?
Alex
408-368-3652 [tel:(408)%20368-3652]
On Tue, Jul 24, 2018 at 9:16 AM Muenzer, Mark E wrote:
> Hi Alex - Please see the below summary from the inspector's site visit yesterday. Thanks.
After visiting the site this morning and looking over the letter from the arborist, the contractor has done all the tree
protection required. The owners and the contractor were on site when I was out there and I reiterated the city's policy on tree
protection and hours of construction. They were very responsive and had all the signage up around the trees and construction
fencing. I asked them to please move some lumber under the canopy of a neighboring heritage redwood tree. As for the equipment
currently on site, both tractors were not under the canopies of any heritage trees. The proposed detached secondary dwelling will
have a pier and grade beam design to avoid root damage to the heritage trees (2 neighboring redwoods and a beech on the property).
MM
Mark E. Muenzer
Community Developtment Director
City Hall - 1st Floor
701 Laurel St [https://maps.google.com/?q=701+Laurel+St&entry=gmail&source=g].
tel 650-330-6709 [tel:(650)%20330-6709]
menlopark.org [http://menlopark.org]
-----Original Message-----
From: Muenzer, Mark E
Sent: Monday, July 23, 2018 8:44 AM
To: striffler
Cc: Keith, Kirsten; McIntyre, Alex D; La France, Ron J
Subject: Re: 445 Oak Ct - Required 3rd-Party Tree Inspector prior to Excavation
Hi Alex - City Hall was closed on Friday but I’ve asked a building inspector to visit the site today to confirm that the
construction is to plan and to confer with the City Arborist that the tree protections are being followed. I should have a report
by the end of the day. Thanks.
MM
> On Jul 20, 2018, at 1:53 PM, striffler wrote:
>
> Hi Kirsten, I will call and you definitely can send someone out anytime today. Thank you.
>
> Alex
> On Fri, Jul 20, 2018 at 7:50 AM Kirsten Keith [kkeith@menlopark.org]>> wrote:
> Hello Alex,
>
> Please call me.
>
> May we have please have someone from staff check out this site today to make sure the trees are being cared for?
>
> Kirsten
>
> On Fri, Jul 20, 2018 at 7:41 AM striffler [striffler@gmail.com]>> wrote:
> Council - it is 7:38 and the developer has heavy equipment running!
>
> Look how close their backhoe is to my tree. They must have a 2nd Arborist opinion.
>
> Please help us out.
>
>
>
> [cid:164b821290b40f5bd5d1]
>
>
> On Fri, Jul 20, 2018 at 7:19 AM striffler [striffler@gmail.com]>> wrote:
> Council, I believe that you specifically asked for a 2nd review and I stand by my suggestion that Brian hire McClenahans for a
2nd in-person review in addition to his current Arborist prior to excavation and daily thereafter.
>
> Brian, thank you, but the City Council was clear that there should be a second Arborist approval.
>
> Also, remember Peter Otaki’s comment directed specifically to you, that you should treat your neighbors with better care and
respect than you have during this project. You would have been considerate to mail this attachment to the neighbors when you
created it, proactively.
>
> Alex
> On Fri, Jul 20, 2018 at 6:56 AM Brian Nguyen [briant.nguyen@gmail.com]>> wrote:
> Hello --
>
> I have retained my original 3rd party arborist, the well-respected, Mr. Walt Levison. All protocols have been reviewed and
approved by the City of Menlo Park.
>
> His demolition approval letter attached.
>
> /Brian
>
>
>
> --
> Brian T. Nguyen
> briant.nguyen@gmail.com [briant.nguyen@gmail.com]
> 650.269.6300 [tel:(650)%20269-6300]
>
> On Fri, Jul 20, 2018 at 12:33 AM, striffler [striffler@gmail.com]>> wrote:
> Honorable City Council,
>
> When you reviewed the 445 Oak Ct project, you mandated a requirement that a 3rd Party Arborist inspect the worksite prior to
excavation and regularly during construction. This was in response to the Heritage Redwood Trees less than 7 feet from the
construction zone at my next-door residence at 1485 Woodland Ave.
>
> I received a letter from the Developer, Brian Nguyen (on cc), stating he would begin excavation this coming Monday, yet I have
not been presented with an official report from the 3rd-party Arborist stating that fencing has been done properly and that
excavation can be allowed to begin, per the terms of the Council's requirement.
>
> I recommend that Mr Nguyen pay for McClenahan's Tree service, a local and well-regarded Willows institution come out for the
inspection prior to Monday, and daily from that point forward.
>
> Please do not allow Mr Nguyen to begin his excavation until McClenahan's has visited the site and provided the appropriate
recommendations.
>
> Thank you.
>
> Alex Striffler-Hernandez
> 408-368-3652 [tel:(408)%20368-3652]
> 1485 Woodland Ave
>
> --
> Best regards,
>
> Kirsten Keith,
> Councilmember and former Mayor, City of Menlo Park 