Support for oak tree growing
25 residents spoke against the project, including Fran Pavley
By Stephanie Bertholdo bertholdo@theacorn.com

A landmark oak tree on Liberty Canyon Road which just a few weeks ago had been facing the ax in order to make room for an office and medical center will most likely be spared.

In May, the Agoura Hills City Council appealed the planning commission's approval of a commercial development at Liberty Canyon and Agoura roads.

Rather than deny the project, the council kept the public hearing on the project open until Aug. 13 to allow Behr Browers Architects of Woodland Hills to change its design and save the tree.

The development calls for a new 9,660squarefoot, onestory office building, a 20,000square-foot two-story medical building, and the remodel of an existing building on the site. The design requires the removal of 12 oak trees, including the old heritage oak on Liberty Canyon. Another 27 trees would be affected by the development, said Mike Kamino, director of community development.

"The beauty of that oak cannot be replicated by 12 young ones," Councilmember Harry Schwarz said. "It's a sculpture we want to look at."

Although 48 oak trees would be planted on the site and elsewhere in the city to make up for the loss of the existing trees, many residents want to save the oldest, largest oak tree that fronts Liberty Canyon homes, condominiums and town houses.

The project requires Liberty Canyon Road to be widened to accommodate a driveway into the complex. Even if the street widening was decreased from 26 feet to 20 feet, the oak tree's root system still would be compromised, said Kay Greeley, an environmental consultant. Although the tree is healthy, a seam found in the trunk indicates a structural defect, she said. That, coupled with encroachment, would make the tree vulnerable to sudden limb breakage, Greeley said, which would pose a hazard to drivers.

Architect Francisco Behr said the city's General Plan requires the road to be widened.

Paul Edelman, deputy director of Natural Resources and Planning for the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, said in letter to the council that there was "no need to resurrect 1980s General Plan streetwidth requirements and thus have the applicant widen Liberty Canyon Road." He said although the applicant provided "stellar cooperation" with conservancy suggestions, he wants the key oak tree to be saved. "There is no guarantee that the oak tree will survive, but we will not know until we try," Edelman wrote.

Greeley said once a tree is impacted by a development it generally dies within 20 years. As for the likelihood of "sudden limb drop," Greeley said she has witnessed more than 100 cases in the past year.

But the road must be widened to create a "left-turn pocket" so drivers won't be tempted to make illegal, and dangerous, U-turns on Liberty Canyon Road, City Engineer Ramiro Adeva said.

Kamino said the goal was to widen the road as much as possible to make room for a wildlife corridor, which would allow the animals access from National Park Service territory at the northeast corner of Agoura Hills to the Santa Monica Mountain Conservancy territory south of the city.

Councilmember Dan Kuperberg suggested that the developer reduce the scope of the project by a "building or two," prompting residents packed in the council chambers to break into applause.

Edelman's letter dismissed the possibility of eliminating one of the three buildings.

"Shy of giving up the Building B site, the applicant has given everything that we have asked for to maximize wildlife movement through the site," Edelman wrote. "Yes, eliminating the building would help with wildlife movement. However, at some point there needs to be a giveandtake in land use decisions."

Twenty-five residents spoke against the project at a recent City Council meeting that lasted until midnight, including Democratic candidate for California Senate, Fran Pavley, Agoura Hills' former mayor.

"This is the last project that will affect our neighborhood," Pavley said. She said there is no reason to install sidewalks around the property. "It makes no sense to have a sidewalk to nowhere," she said.

"Let's do it right, together," Pavley said, indicating the developer should be allowed use of the land but that Southern California Edison should move power lines to accommodate the project.

Behr said moving the power lines would create problems since the lines would be closer to homes.

"For all intents and purposes (this project) is significantly better than what we contemplated a number of years ago by a prior owner," Councilmember Bill Koehler said. He called for a balance to "preserve a local treasure" with public safety and the right of the owner to build a "sustainable project."

Architect Michael Browers said Behr Browers would rework the project design in an effort to save the tree.

"One tree doesn't trump the right to develop property," said Councilmember Denis Weber.