Octoberfest Tree Abuse

Here's a little pet peeve of mine. There is a beautiful Sweet Gum tree (well now it's a bush) in the parking lot that is unfortunately right in front of where they set up the main stage for Octoberfest. I have watched that poor tree get abused each year, and this year it was finally large enough that I thought it stood a chance. As you can see from the attached pictures last year someone (much smarter than me) decided to cut the main tunk off, so now this tree will never grow up and is destined to live out its life as what I call a lollipop tree.

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Permalink Reply by La Mesa Today on March 2, 2010 at 6:55pm

Phil,
An interesting issue. There is an aborist who is a member of the City Council's Environmental Committee and I bet she could help save this tree. She made an eloquent and impassioned speech about two meetings ago about the inanity of topping trees. She knows her stuff. I will contact her and see if she can engage on this. I have watched the trees along La Mesa Boulevard and have wondered if they actually can survive the onslaught of front-end in parking so close to their trunks. I do know that tree make a downtown. Even in Manhattan, they are the straw that stirs the drink of urban character. Thanks for bringing this up.

Chris Lavin, Editor.

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Permalink Reply by Kristin Kjaero on April 11, 2010 at 6:41am

Hi Phil and Chris. I wonder when the plan to revitalize the Village (new sidewalks and parking) is implemented, if they'll work around the trees, or if they'll start over? Kristin

La Mesa Today said:

Phil,
An interesting issue. There is an aborist who is a member of the City Council's Environmental Committee and I bet she could help save this tree. She made an eloquent and impassioned speech about two meetings ago about the inanity of topping trees. She knows her stuff. I will contact her and see if she can engage on this. I have watched the trees along La Mesa Boulevard and have wondered if they actually can survive the onslaught of front-end in parking so close to their trunks. I do know that tree make a downtown. Even in Manhattan, they are the straw that stirs the drink of urban character. Thanks for bringing this up.

Chris Lavin, Editor.

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Permalink Reply by Chris Lavin on April 11, 2010 at 4:32pm

Kristin,
I chatted with City officials about this issue just a few days ago. They told me the plan to redo La Mesa Boulevard does intend to keep "major'' trees that are well established on the street -- like the one that is in front of Cosmos Cafe and the larger one just west from there near Spring. I don't think most of the smaller trees that fight with parking in the current configuration will make it through a redesign of the street, though other new landscaping will undoubtedly be part of the new street. I will follow up later this week with a more detailed look at how far the plans have gone for this project.

Chris Lavin, Editor.