The “Water Cooler” is a feature on Claycord.com where we ask you a question or provide a topic, and you talk about it.
The “Water Cooler” will be up Monday-Friday at noon.
Did you know? Certain trees throughout cities in Contra Costa County are “protected,” and require permits to be cut down, even if the tree is on private property.
QUESTION: Do you think any city should be able to tell a homeowner what trees they can and cannot cut down on their own property?
Talk about it….
Oh, gosh, the tree died.
You still need an arborist report. Ten years ago it was $300 for somebody to spend five minutes to look at the tree and say it needs to come down. Then you get pushback from the city with their BS about saving the urban forest.
Anonymous note mailed to code enforcement mentioning dead tree may fall, it’s amazing how fast the scamper out to have a look. Just don’t leave the shovel, long 1/2 inch drill bit and glyphosate concentrate sitting in plain view.
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Use their system against them, it’s more fun that way.
No
What I need is a permit to cut down my neighbors trees that are hanging twenty feet into my yard and making a live oak leaf mess. Can’t get any help out of the county which is as usual.
Ricardoh… I have the same problem. Senile neighbors do nothing.
Scoop up the leaves and throw them into their yard. See how they like it!
California law allows you to cut any neighbors tree/plant hanging over the property line. If you do it, do it gracefully.
I had one cut down that got too big and too close to the house. It was a fire hazard. Never called for permission.
My philosophical and political response is “no” but I am getting so sick of idiots moving to the Bay Area for the nature but then cutting down the trees to make it look like the hideously ugly Orange County they left that I’m now leaning to “yes.”
Ridiculous..my property are my trees and I’ll cut em down if I want to a lot of damn thing anybody is going to do about it.
My dad lives in a gated community that he tells me he has to get permission to cut down trees remove bushes and if he’s going to plant something he needs to get the okay well BS after 12 years of living there he hasn’t done any of that and he’s cut down trees planted new trees same with bushes. We had HOA in the past and I wouldn’t give them the time and day if I wanted to do something on my property.
No way!!!! Get your hands off of my property
indiscriminate cutting of healthy trees that have been growing for over 75 years, providing shade and livable conditions for animals, is not right. A certain well known builder/ developer, S—-, has been getting away with it for a long time. Many people who own a piece of property often think their rights entitles them to do whatever damage they choose. Our culture needs to value living things more than it has been demonstrating lately! (plants, animals, and yes, even people)
Get over it..yer yacking out your other end.
What if the tree wants to transition to a stump. Shouldn’t we try to help it?
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I think there is a balance to be struck. One person from a local govts cannot just say no and that’s it. There needs to be a process (like an appeal to a higher authority) and potentially, a required replacement. For example, cut down a small healthy 9-inch oak and be required to replace it with a choice of three species elsewhere on the property.
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Trees are good for the aesthetics and property values. Look at treeless neighborhoods (like old parts of Richmond, Pittsburg, and Hercules) and they’re really stark and feel empty. It feels like the place only contains homes and pavement… nothing to visually soften the streetscape.
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There are ‘bad” trees that are not suited for this climate, planting conditions, or location. For example, redwoods belong the coast or in places where there is more of a marine influence because redwoods (Sequioa sempervirens) require lots of water. Their roots frequently damage sewer n water pipes, and can damage home foundations. Lastly, they grow very large… people like them because they grow fast. Ive seen them planted in narrow sideyards and advise against that due to the aforementioned reasons.
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Another is eucalyptus (gum tree) which emits a poison to prevent other plants from growing under their canopy, are messy, grow large, and are a fire hazard because of their oil content.
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Silk trees (Albizia julibrissin) grow fast but are really messy… really messy… seasonal fallen flowers, seeds, seed pods, then the leaves in the fall. It’s almost all year long. Terrible over a driveway!
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Unless a neighbor ratted me out, how would the city or county know if I cut down a tree?
The City of Walnut Creek does not about their residents. They act like they are all their trees. but if they fall you are on your own.(if you survive). I don’t think you should have to PAY for a permit if it’s your property and you already pay huge taxes. pffft!.
You just cut them down and ask for forgiveness, or pay the fines. Same style as Seeno and most other developers…
The cities have waaaaaay overdone it – under certain circumstances maybe – but not the way handled now
If the tree is on your property there is no reason to have the government involved in taking it down.
It’s just more control over every aspect of the people’s life.
The people want the government to fix the roads.
If the government could do that, perhaps then they could do something else like sweep the sidewalks.
If Hunter Biden doesn’t have to file and pay his taxes on millions in ill-gotten gains, you sure as heck don’t need a permit to cut down your own tree. Call it, “The Biden Defense.”
After the fact, if CCC gives you a hard time, meet them at the door naked, tell them how you identify, insist on pronouns, and they’ll back off immediately.
There are no rules any longer.
Permit. Asking a governing body permission for you to do something to your property, and paying for them to say yes, you can replace your roof or put up an 8 ft fence. Gee, thanks.
There are some oak trees in our neighborhood that threaten some of the houses in the properties next door. So far those homeowners have not been able to get the tree owners to trim. Seems that some oak trees are protected and permits needed. However I also learned that some pines are even more protected but do not require a permit. Also learned that dealing with really tall pines is very expensive not just in the thousands but tens of thousands. More Bidenflation.