“While the trees lining Miller Avenue are very majestic, they are also more than 100 years old, and thus the question arises – how healthy are they? With their large massive limbs over the street and houses, a falling limb could inflict enough damage to kill a pedestrian or crush a car. Has the city consulted an arborist to establish reasonable assurance these trees are safe and there is low possibility of falling limbs?”
and …
“I live on Sequoia and Laurel, and really the tress that are between sidewalk and street should be cut down. I love tress but these trees are very dangerous for the fact that the limbs break off when they get to heavy. Put in some new trees that don’t rise the sidewalk and limbs that don’t break and fall on cars. A few cars have been hit already and people still park under these trees. The city should put up a warning sign for the falling branches?”
Red Phone: Dear Branching Out, The many trees within the city limits can be a positive and a negative thing. On one hand, they provide shade and keep the city from looking like a barren landscape. On the other hand, they do require a lot of maintenance.
While falling small branches are part of the natural tree cycle, falling large branches could indicate a deeper problem and are a cause for concern, said Todd Barreras, operations services supervisor for the City of Gilroy.
The city has its trees inspected regularly to make sure they are healthy, Barreras said. But if there is still a concern about a specific tree, he said he would “check the tree or get an arborist report to make sure tree is in good condition.” To report a tree, call 846-0460.
Just a reminder, the city prohibits anyone from trimming city owned trees without a permit because of safety issues.
