Mountain View Parks and Recreation and Urban Forestry Board Meeting - February 11, 2026
Mountain View Parks and Recreation and Urban Forestry Board Meeting - February 11, 2026
On Wednesday, February 11, 2026, the Mountain View Parks and Recreation and Urban Forestry Board convened to discuss a heritage tree removal appeal and receive staff updates. The meeting began at approximately 2:15 PM. Commissioners present: Brian, Davis, Sylvester, and Chair Mitchner. Commissioner Summer was absent. The board voted 4-0 to deny the appeal and uphold staff's decision to refuse removal of a heritage tree at 2415 Benjamin Drive.
Consent Calendar
- The minutes from the January 11, 2026 meeting were approved unanimously (4-0). No public comments were made regarding the minutes.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public provided oral communications on non-agenda items.
Discussion Items
Heritage Tree Removal Appeal – 2415 Benjamin Drive
- Staff Report: Forestry Manager Russell Hansen presented the appeal. The tree in question is a podocarpus graciliar, 22 inches in diameter, located along the property line. Staff assessed the tree as being in good health with fair structure, though it has an unbalanced canopy from prior pruning. The property owner applied for removal citing four criteria: (1) the tree is in good or fair health, (2) lack of proper growth space, (3) interference with utility service (gas, sewer), and (4) proximity to structures causing or likely to cause damage. Staff denied removal because the tree is healthy, no construction improvements are proposed, the tree provides neighborhood benefit, and issues can be addressed through root pruning or other corrective measures. Staff noted the sewer line was repaired in 2024 with a trenchless coating, which carries a 20-year warranty but does not cover root intrusion. The gas line (installed in the 1950s) runs under the tree; however, gas lines are low‑pressure and typically flexible, so root damage is rare. Staff recommended exploring root pruning before removal.
- Appellant’s Testimony: Harry, speaking for appellant Jill Gordon (property owner), presented photos showing damage: a side garage door that no longer closes, a utility door threshold broken, and the driveway lifted approximately 1.5 inches. The owner had paid roughly $59,000 for sewer line repairs in 2021 and 2024. The house has radiant floor heating (pipes in the concrete slab), and the owner expressed concern that further root‑related foundation movement could crack the slab and damage the heating system beyond repair. The appellant stated that communication with staff had been poor and that they were unaware they could submit evidence before the meeting.
- Commission Questions & Discussion: Commissioners asked about root pruning feasibility, the gas line depth, and the nature of the sewer repairs. Staff confirmed that hydro‑excavation could expose roots with minimal damage and that root pruning could mitigate hardscape issues for another 5–10 years. Commissioners noted the tree is healthy and provides neighborhood value. They expressed sympathy for the owner’s expenses but emphasized the city code’s emphasis on preserving heritage trees. Several commissioners stated that more information—particularly a site‑specific assessment of the foundation and radiant floor system—would be needed before considering removal.
- Neighbor’s Position: The neighbor, who originally filed the removal application, also expressed concern about ongoing property damage.
Key Outcomes
- Vote (4-0): The board adopted a resolution to deny the appeal and uphold staff’s denial of heritage tree removal. The motion was made by Commissioner Brian, seconded by Commissioner Davis. The vote was 4‑0 in favor.
- Directive: The board encouraged the property owner to explore root pruning and hydro‑excavation as an alternative. If conditions worsen or mitigation proves insufficient, the owner may reapply for removal.
Commission and Staff Announcements, Updates, and Requests
- Next Meetings: The March 11, 2026 meeting is canceled due to the California Parks and Recreation Society conference. The next meeting will be Tuesday, March 17, 2026 at 6:00 PM. That agenda will include an updated Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan (revised after City Council direction) and two heritage tree appeals.
- Award: Staff announced that Mountain View has won a statewide award for leadership in recreation; formal announcement expected soon.
- Upcoming Events: The Lunar New Year celebration will be held Saturday, February 28, 2026 from 10 AM to 2 PM. The Spring‑Summer Activity Guide is now available online.
- Senior Center Project: The Senior Center Solar Array and Electrification Project is expected to be completed by Friday, February 20, 2026. The senior lunch program and activities will then return to the facility.
- San Antonio School Site Update: Staff met with the Los Altos School District; the district plans to start school construction in summer 2026, with an opening in 2028. The two‑acre park site may be used for construction staging, which could affect the park design timeline.
- Pickleball Courts Update: Staff identified a potential private property location for pickleball courts. Discussions are progressing, and a public update is anticipated within two months. The number of courts and location will require a policy decision by City Council.
Meeting Transcript
okay i'm going to call to order uh the wednesday february 11th 2026 meeting of the city of mountain views parks and recreation and urban forestry board uh allison flynn can you please conduct the roll call yep we have brian here davis here silvester here chair mitchner yes here and your summer is absent All right. We'll now move on to item three, which is the minutes approval. First, is there any public comment, either in the room or online, regarding the minutes from the January 11th meeting? No one online. All right. Is there anyone who wishes to make a motion? So moved. Second. We have a motion by Commissioner Bryan, seconded by Commissioner Davis. Commissioner Bryan? Yes. Commissioner Davis? Yes. Commissioner Sylvester? Yes. Passes 4-0. All right, moving on to oral communications from the public. This portion of the meeting is reserved for persons wishing to address the commission on any matter not matter not on the agenda. Speakers are limited to three minutes and state law prohibits the commission from acting on non-agenda items. If anyone here in the room would like to provide public comment, please fill out a blue card. And for those online, if you could please use the raise hand feature and Allison Flynn will recognize you at the appropriate time. So let's start with people in the room. Anybody here for public comment? Anybody online? All right, I will close public comment. Moving on to new business. Item number 5.1 is a heritage tree removal application appeal for 2415 Benjamin Drive in Mountain View. before we go into that I'd like to do a couple of things first I want to introduce two city attorneys who are going to be participating or at least listening to the process assistant city attorney Diana Fazelli will be representing city staff and I see Diana on on the zoom and senior assistant city attorney David Willis will be representing the urban forestry board uh just to outline the process on tonight's appeal uh we'll start off with a staff report then the appellant will have uh 10 minutes to speak and uh if the appellant wishes to allocate some of that time to the owner um they may they may do that if they desire We will then have PRC questions for either the staff or the appellant. Following that, there will be public comment. Then staff will have two minutes for concluding remarks and the appellant will also have two minutes. Again, they can allocate some of that time to the owner if they choose. Following that, PRC will deliberate and come to some kind of a motion and a vote. so uh to start things off uh i believe russell hansen our forestry manager will be presenting all right thank you commissioners appreciate you coming this evening um again the item that we're hearing this evening is for 2415 benjamin drive it is a heritage tree appeal. The tree itself, actually, let me backtrack. You've got the aerial image up on the screen now currently in that lower left corner is the approximate location of where this podocarpus is located. As you can see, it's kind of right along the edge of the property in there between those two properties. The tree itself is again a podocarpus graciliar. It's 22 inches in diameter. It is what we would consider to be in good health and overall fair structure with the only concerns being a little bit of unbalanced canopy from prior pruning. Applicant had listed the following criteria as the reason for removal. Tree is in good or fair health. The tree does not appear to have proper growth space. The tree is interfering with utility service, for example, electricity, gas, sewer, or water. And lastly, that the tree is growing in close proximity to the structures and causing damage or will do so in the near future. So when we overall looked at the tree again, the canopy itself, again, we felt it was healthy.
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