DEL MAR — Residents are pressing the City Council to address what they call an urgent safety threat after a protected Torrey pine that arborists had deemed healthy toppled onto a home.
During public comment at Tuesday’s council meeting, resident Sean Wheatley expressed frustration over a former neighbor’s refusal to remove a large Torrey pine that recently toppled onto his Ocean View Avenue home.
“I’ve been concerned about these (Torrey pines) trees for years,” Wheatley told the council. “In this neighborhood, they are grey, brown; I don’t think they’re healthy, and I think it’s a risk to our community. My ask of the council today is to start a conversation. This is causing issues between neighbors.”
City Manager Ashley Jones said current city regulations allow a permit to remove a protected tree species only with a recommendation from a certified arborist. The Torrey pine is one of North America’s most endangered trees and grows naturally only in San Diego and Monterey counties and on Santa Rosa Island.
Ocean View neighbor Kathy Ng told the council that the tree fell not because of disease but because of soft soil and the species’ shallow root structure. Photos showed the intact tree lying on its side with its root ball pulled from the ground.
“I’m here tonight to alert you to the critical public safety hazard on our block and ask that city leadership pave an expedited path for the immediate removal of a dangerous Torrey pine,” Ng said.
Ng shared photos documenting three Torrey pines that toppled along Ocean View in the past four years, two of which brought down power lines. She said another nearby Torrey pine hangs over her bedroom and the home is entirely within its fall radius.
“These three historical failures provide clear evidence that this remaining tree faces the exact same root vulnerability,” Ng said, who added that the trees pose an “unacceptable hazard” to the neighborhood.
She urged the council to hire an independent arborist to examine the tree, its root structure and surrounding soil.
“Because our lives are on the line, I’m asking the City Council to … authorize immediate tree removal before the winter storms arrive,” Ng said.
Brian Douglas, who owns the neighboring property where the tree stood before falling onto Wheatley’s home, said he hired multiple arborists after purchasing the property a few years ago and learning of Wheatley’s concerns.
However, he said the arborists did not recommend removing it because the tree appeared healthy.
Community Development Director Karen Brindley noted that an imminent danger can override the permitting process.
Mayor Tracy Martinez asked whether the seemingly healthy tree could be assessed to determine why it fell.
“Damage to property is significant; harm to a person would be a whole other level,” Martinez said.
Jones also noted that the city’s tree ordinance requires removed trees to be replaced and questioned whether that remains the best approach in areas with high fire danger.
Because the matter was raised during public comment and was not on the agenda, the council could not discuss it further under the Brown Act’s public notice requirements. Councilmember Dan Quirk asked Jones to place the issue on a future agenda so the council could consider whether to revisit the city’s regulations.
In other business, the council approved a $1.25 million contract with Encinitas-based Dudek to complete engineering design and permitting for the proposed San Dieguito Lagoon Shoreline Protection Planning Project. Roughly $1 million will come from a state grant.
Responding to a question from Quirk, Jones said using the grant to have Dudek complete the feasibility study would not obligate the city to proceed with the project. She said the study would also help city staff determine the project’s full cost.
Before the regular meeting, the council met in closed session. City Attorney Christina Cameron said the council discussed two matters: the 22nd District Agricultural Association’s Aug. 18 vote to terminate an exclusive negotiating agreement with the city over affordable housing on fairgrounds property, and ongoing litigation involving local property owner Carol Lazier and her proposed Seaside Ridge housing development.
Cameron said the council took no reportable action.
