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Does Boulder protect its trees?
“Of course!”, most people would say. After all, Boulder, Colorado is a place that prides itself on environmental consciousness. For 23 years in a row, Boulder has been named Tree City USA by the National Arbor Day Foundation .But if that’s true, then how did the largest Horsechestnut Tree in the state – a registered State Champion Tree - get destroyed in 2007 by a construction project in Boulder’s coveted and historic Mapleton Hill? At savebouldertrees.org you can find the answer to that question and other questions you may have about Boulder’s commitment to protecting its urban forest.
Purpose
At savebouldertrees.org you can learn about what is being done – and not being done in the city of Boulder - to protect trees on both private and public property from the impact of construction and development.
- See what ordinances are in place to protect your trees
- Find out if and how those ordinances are being enforced;
- Learn what you can do if you think they are not being enforced; and
- Discover what additional plans for tree protection are in process in the city.
At savebouldertrees.org you can also share stories about your own experiences protecting your trees and learn from the experiences of others.
Like so many citizen efforts, savebouldertrees.org began because of one person's experience.
My Story
My story begins in 2004 when the property that housed the old Howe Mortuary in downtown Boulder was sold to a developer. Located on 11th St. and running the full distance between Pine and Spruce, just a block off the Pearl Street pedestrian mall, this property serves as the gateway to Mapleton Hill - Boulder’s coveted historic district. Proudly marketing its location and historic value, the name of this new project was to be Mapleton Place.
Just to the west of the proposed Mapleton Place, and directly across the street from my home, is a small 5 unit apartment building that I own. The address of this apartment building is 1040 Pine St. And right at the edge of the property line, between Mapleton Place and 1040 Pine St. stands a tree - its trunk on my side, its roots and canopy fanning far out to the east, The tree I am referring to is no ordinary tree – it is a Colorado State Champion Horsechestnut Tree – tied for the largest of its species in the state. This tree stands 60’ tall; with a 52’ canopy and a trunk 4’in diameter.
Development plans for Mapleton Place included two houses –(1) 4000sq ft and (1) 3000 sq ft; and four lofts - 3 in the former mortuary and 1 very large loft added on to the back and top of the mortuary. In the spring of 2007 excavation began.
The first step was to excavate for an enormous retaining wall running 15’deep all along the property line. During the course of the excavation of that wall, 60-70% of the root system of this State Champion Tree was destroyed. Any tree that loses more than 40% of its roots is by definition a hazard tree. So now, a magnificent 80 year old, 18,000 pound State Champion Tree, just half way through its life, was a hazard - and sitting on my property.
A hazard tree I learned from the consulting arborist I brought in to assess the damage, does not necessarily have to come down. But a hazard tree of this size and in an urban location, does have to be anchored with guy wires. The developer's engineers initially proposed a guy wire system that would tie into the retaining wall they had just built (the one that destroyed the roots of the tree). When studied, however the retaining wall could not hold the force of this tree. The developer's engineers proposed no other solutions. I then brought in my own engineering firm to study the situation and present some new ideas for how to anchor the tree. After extensive research, they came up with a concept for an anchoring system that could work. This system would demand that guy wires be placed throughout my yard and directly into the backyard of the 4000 sq ft house under construction. The developer’s engineers would not sign off on this system. My engineers, brought on only to bring some new ideas to the table, were not willing to take the system further and take the liability of sign off either. Without an anchoring system stamped with an engineer's sign off, this Grand Champion of a tree, an anchor itself in this historic neighborhood will have to be removed. Removal is currently scheduled for the end of this month.(August 2007).
What I have learned
I have learned that the Boulder’s tree protection ordinances are shockingly inadequate. According to the way the language in these ordinances has been interpreted, the only trees protected from construction damage in the city of Boulder are trees within the perimeter of a property under construction and trees on city property. There is no protection for trees on properties adjacent to construction sites even when those trees stand, just like this State Champion does, right on the property line. You can review Boulder’s tree protection ordinances in the section Know Your Rights.
The case of the Champion Horsechestnut has made the inadequacies of Boulder’s tree protection ordinances glaringly clear. Those ordinances are currently under review. The city is also beginning to look at its need for a special Heritage tree protection ordinance to offer special protection to trees like the State Champion Horsechestnut, that are of unique value to our city
At savebouldertrees.org we will do our best to centrally organize information about current and pending tree protection ordinances and issues in the city of Boulder. If you are interested in protecting your trees and saving our urban forest, please join us in this effort. Leave us your contact information so that we can keep you informed. Let us know how you would like to help. Make your voice heard. Together we can make a difference.
Margery Goldman
1043 Pine St.
Boulder, Colorado