Six liquid amber trees that provide shade outside the Central Library in Santa Cruz are about to be removed.
Six liquid amber trees that provide shade outside the Central Library in Santa Cruz are about to be removed. Four of the trees are of heritage size (greater than 14 inches in diameter and more than 54 inches tall), while two are smaller. These trees will be replaced by boxside ginkgo biloba trees. A seventh tree, a jacaranda, will also be removed but will not be replaced.
Officials say that the problem with the current trees is the damage that their roots cause to the sidewalk and curb outside the library. Repairs have cost the taxpayer about $20,000 in the past decade. The irony is that the removal and replacement of the trees, along with sidewalk repairs, is estimated to cost $40,000. The problem is that pruning the existing trees would not only accumulate more costs. It would also harm the trees’ health, making their eventual removal inevitable.
Funding for the project is coming from the library itself, which currently bears the brunt of the cost of tending to the trees, and the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. PG&E will also be contributing from a special fund it has to plant new trees. Read more at Santa Cruz Sentinel.
