Cypress trees that have been at Del Mar Elementary School in Morro Bay for over 50 years are coming down, and many residents aren’t happy about it.
“Trees are significant to Morro Bay residents," said Betty Winholtz, Morro Bay resident. "I mean we’re a bird city where [would] the birds live? They live in the trees.”
“It’s very heart-breaking to see a city that we call Tree City USA allowing this to occur," said Michelle Howard-Leicester, Morro Bay resident.
Neighbors said that the 14 trees provided shelter to owls and birds, were a windbreak for the houses on the hill above, and were of importance to the community garden and church behind them.
KSBY News talked to San Luis Coastal Unified School District Assistant Superintendent Ryan Pinkerton about the situation and he said the trees needed to come down to make way for two new pre-school classrooms.
“We needed a wider fire lane, as well as ADA accessibility pathways which caused us to have to move the footprint of the building into the hillside some and putting up a huge retaining wall behind those," Pinkerton said.
Pinkerton said the worry was that the trees would be a safety hazard and some had even begun to decay inside.
The district obtained a permit and went through the process with the city. Cutting 14 trees and will replant 30 on the other side of campus as part of the agreement which is a 2:1 ratio; unless replaced with larger trees to which it's be a 1:1 ratio.
On Wednesday afternoon, community members gathered at the Methodist Church next door for a grief and grievance ceremony.
“Process this it's also to honor the gifts of the trees we often so, we so often take away from the earth without giving thanks for what it’s provided," said Pastor Steve Poteete-Marshall.
“Neighbors, church members, and everybody shared their little story about how important it was and the pastor you know he sees those trees everyday when he goes to work,” Winholtz said.
Pinkerton told KSBY News that he understands why people are concerned about trees.
“In this case again it’s not that we wanted to cut down trees, we would’ve left them but it really was a safety hazard both for kids and the new buildings that are going to be put in those areas," Pinkerton said.
While residents hope something still comes out of the situation.
“I hope that the city understands that we residents want to noticed," Winholtz said. "Not just with a stick in the ground where you don’t know what it’s saying.”
