With Leucadia’s canopy of trees along Coast Highway 101 and the rail corridor diminishing every year due to tree removals, and the emergence of city plans to remove a large, longstanding eucalyptus tree from the center divide of the highway, some residents are expressing dismay about the removal of what they consider a historic tree.
A community blog, Encinitas Undercover, published an article in late July, “City plans to kill last big old eucalyptus near Leucadia Boulevard on 101.” The article referred to the soon-to-be removed tree as “irreplaceable, historic canopy.” Encinitas city employees, however, dispute classifying the tree as historic.
“Although this is a large, mature tree, it does not carry any designation of ‘historic,’” said Encinitas Public Works Director Glenn Pruim. “The city does not have a designation of ‘historic’ trees of which I am aware, but we do have two trees designated as ‘heritage trees.’ This is not one of those two trees.”
According to the Heritage Tree Nomination form of the Encinitas Planning and Building Department, the Planning Commission may give a tree, or multiple trees, heritage status upon finding that it is unique and of importance to the community due to any of these factors: the tree is one of the oldest and largest of its species; it’s of unique form or species; it has historic significance due to an association with a historic building, site, street, person or event; the tree is a defining landmark or significant outstanding feature of a neighborhood.
While, arguably, the tree in question may meet some of those requirements, no form has been submitted or approved for such a designation. The most recognizable of the two trees that have received this classification is an 83-foot-tall pine tree that has been called the city’s semi-official holiday tree, located near the upper Moonlight Beach parking lot. Every year, it is decorated in holiday lights.
Nonetheless, the Leucadia tree on Coast Highway 101 is planned for removal during one of the many construction phases in the 101 Streetscape project that the city has embarked on. The new improvements will span along the 101 from A Street (just north of Encinitas Boulevard) to La Costa Avenue. Pruim explained that the phase of construction that will include the tree removal has not yet been budgeted or scheduled.
“Preliminary designs are being prepared for the entire project limits, but funds for construction have only been approved for Phase I, which extends from A Street to North Court,” Pruim said.
Despite speculations, Pruim said that there is no roundabout, a method of traffic control, planned for the intersection at Leucadia Boulevard.
The old eucalyptus won’t be the only tree being removed in the overall Streetscape plans. In total, there are 34 trees that will be removed as part of the overall project. To mitigate the removal of the trees, the city plans to plant 823 trees along the corridor, a replacement-to-removal ratio of about 24 to 1, according to the city.
Jessica LaFontaine is a North County freelance writer