SOLANA BEACH — Seven Torrey pine trees that have towered over North Rios Avenue for decades will be removed this month due to the risks posed to nearby residences and Solana Beach School District facilities.
Reaching 70 to 80 feet, the trees directly border the Solana Beach Child Development Center, which houses a parking lot, various buildings and an outdoor playground area for children 18 months to around five years of age.
Solana Beach School District officials and residents said they are concerned about the current instability of the trees, which lean heavily toward their buildings. Recent weather patterns of increased rain and wind earlier this year have intensified these concerns.
“Basically, the trees have nowhere to fall that’s safe,” said John Leland, SBSD’s Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Operations. “There are children in those buildings as well as staff and offices, and we have parking around those trees as well as the neighbors across the street. The trees are tall enough that they will span the street and are able to reach the houses on the other side.”
School district officials reached out to the city in March with their concerns, stating they were unwilling to incur the risks to property and people posed by the trees. They began planning to safely remove the trees in partnership with San Diego Gas & Electric.
City leaders said they are sad to see the trees go but that safety is a higher priority.
“We’re all sorry to lose these trees. They’ve been there a long time, they’re very iconic, but it’s understandable when it comes to the safety considerations, that that is what’s needed,” City Councilmember Dave Zito said at the June 14 council meeting.
The pines currently lean unevenly in different directions. Leland said this is due to a variety of reasons, including the way they are pruned, irrigated and how far apart they are planted.
“Part of that is due to the proximity of the trees where they’re planted. They are quite close to each other, and the branches actually extend trunk to trunk, so the trees start to move away from each other to try to do that,” Leland said.
Utility crews also heavily prune branches on the street-facing side to prevent any interference with utility lines, while branches on the other side loom over classrooms.
In addition, while Torrey pines usually grow extensive root systems that span around 225 feet, the district’s use of spray irrigation limits the growth of these roots, essentially making the trees top-heavy and unstable, Leland said.
Branches and even entire trees have also fallen onto the property in the past. A branch from one of the pines fell on the preschool playground in 2009, although no children were present, and another fell onto the parking lot last year.
In 2016, an entire Torrey pine on the other side of the Child Development Center fell on the field, leaving a staff member with scratches but no significant injuries.
The next step is for SDG&E to conduct an avian study to determine whether bird nests occupy the trees and then to remove the trees in partnership with SBSD. City, school district and SDGE representatives will then collaborate with the community in selecting new trees to fill the void left by the Torrey pines. Crepe myrtle, Hong Kong orchid and knife acacia trees are examples of “utility-friendly” species that could be planted, SDG&E representatives said in a June 14 presentation to the City Council.
“The replanting project will be coordinated by school leadership and SDG&E’s Vegetation Management group to facilitate ‘Right Tree Right Place’ species along with school planting goals and needs,” said SDG&E spokesperson Alex Welling. “We look forward to partnering with the School District, the City and the community on the replanting effort.”
