Monday, May 21, 2007

Invasion of the canopy snatchers....

This e-mail has been making the rounds...

To Whom It May Concern at Encinitas City Hall: 5-19-07

A few months back on a SATURDAY MORNING I was awakened by chainsaws doing work on N. Coast Hwy 101. Tree trimming is not that unusual here so I didn’t get up and take a look. When I opened my shop at 10am, The healthy, 16’ pine tree I had planted in the median 12 years ago was completely gone. My Dad said before they began, he saw a large white truck with a chipper in tow and the name of the company in big letters on the door of the truck, but he couldn’t remember what the company name was. He thought they were merely trimming as well and paid little attention to them.

I called Andy Bullington at the city and he said there were NO city crews working on Saturdays and that no company had been hired by the city to do trimming and such in Leucadia for the past 6 mos. He also said if I see the truck again to let him know who it was.

Today I found out who it was.

But the tree butchering is not limited to the pine tree. It is ANY tree they believe "impairs" people’s view of BILLBOARDS on the hwy here. In the past, we were also trying to figure out WHO was trimming the palm trees so badly. They would leave ONE palm branch sticking straight up in the air when they left in front of Bamboo 2U my neighbor.

Today, SATURDAY MORNING, a little after 10am I heard a big truck pull up. A crew of five men began putting tools together to trim trees and they headed for Judy’s palm tree (again). I said “You’re not planning on trimming that tree are you?” and he said “Yes” and I told them I didn’t want them to. They told me they were making it easier for people to see the billboard on Jason St.. I told them they were destroying trees (as if they didn’t know).

I believe the name of the company that completely took out my tree and God knows how many others, is EVERGREEN TREE SERVICE. I only had a second to look at their truck, went to get my camera and they had split. (It’s the last word I’m not postive about, but Evergreen and Tree were the first two words. Their large logo is on the door of a large white truck, the kind that holds chippings. The Name of the company is in GOLD lettering with maybe black outlines and is ARCHED above their addreess and phone # etc. there were about 4 or 5 lines of information below it.
Please do something from preventing this company from continuing to blight our business district. I just noticed the hacked off most of the palms of one of Charlie Marvin’s trees on HIS property as well (just before they got to my block no doubt. I will be taking picture of their handywork tomorrow.

I would like them to replace the tree in the median they destroyed. Lastly, I think they need some letter from the city forbidding them to continue under a costly penalty.

Yours truly,
Fred Caldwell
1234 N. Coast Hwy 101
Leucadia CA 92024

8 comments:

  1. Can we just get rid of the billboards all together? Those things are tacky. The one above Encinitas Blvd and Rhino Art is a total embarrassment to the city.

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  2. Lets fine the billboard company and make them pay for the cost for all the damages done along HW101 throughout the years.

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  3. I always assumed Fred owned the one above the japanese restaurant. I'm relieved because I hate that billboard. The L101 association should purchase space on the billboard in the north entrance of Leucadia with a big photo of Peder Norby welcoming people to town.

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  4. That’s messed up that some company can go and cut down trees and canopies without recourse. I want to hear what the City is going to do to the billboard company. What is the City going to do about this?

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  5. BOOOOO Evergreen tree cutters! Yes, the billboard companies do not own the land, only are buying the right to display their awful advertising.

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  7. I agree. Billboards far from beautify a city or town, or for that matter, any skyline. It’s terrible that tree branches need to be cut down in order for people to view these ugly souvenirs of urbanization. How long will any area, rural or urban, flourish without enough trees to nourish its soils?!

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  8. The billboard above Rhino Art is more than an embarrassment, it's an atrocity.

    I guess back in 1971, Pete Wilson tried to pass a San Diego billboard ban. It was overturned by the Supreme Court. Justice William Brennan stated that San Diego needed to show a "substantial government interest" (i.e., interest in its appearance) before it could totally ban billboards.

    The Highway Beautification Act of 1965 states that local governments need to provide "just compensation" to the owners of billboards before they can require removal.

    However, amortization can also be used to remove billboards: A government body can allow a billboard to remain standing for a "set period of time".

    Is anyone familiar with how the billboards were finally removed from San Elijo lagoon?

    What the city probably really needs is a council who's number one priority is the community that it serves. I honestly don't think that is what we have on Vulcan Avenue right now.

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