At Tuesday night's San Luis Obispo City Council meeting, councilmembers voted 4-1 to remove an oak tree, in order to make way for the new San Luis Obispo Repertory Theatre's Performing Arts Center.
"I was shocked and dismayed," said Daniel Glidden, who works down the street from the tree.
"It's highly unfortunate. I understand, but it's highly unfortunate," said David Hannings.
He has lived next to this oak tree for 25 years soon his new neighbor will be a performing arts center for the San Luis Obispo Repertory Theatre, and a cultural arts district parking structure.
"We've been talking about this project for like 20 years now. During the project, there were all these plans to save the oak tree, they were designing around the oak tree. What changed?" said Hannings.
Councilmembers felt similarly and were tasked with having to decide between removing the tree or pushing for a redesign of the site, which would delay the project and potentially threaten its overall viability.
Kevin Harris, the SLO Repertory Managing Artistic Director said, "Like so many in our community, we are very disappointed by the loss of this beautiful tree. From the very beginning, our vision for the new theatre was built literally and figuratively around its presence. We invested deeply in architectural designs specifically meant to preserve it, but a recent arborist’s report revealed that the root system is badly compromised. We are deeply sorry for this loss to our landscape and are exploring ways to honor the tree’s legacy within the new theatre."
The City of San Luis Obispo has a policy where for every 1 tree removed, at least 1 tree must be replanted. The SLO City Arborist says they intend to replant 1 in the same location, and 4 other trees offsite.
"Because of the size and status of this tree," said Walter Gault, the SLO Arborist.
The new performing arts center will have 2 theatres — a 215-seat main stage theatre and 100-seat black box.
It's expected to open in July 2027.
