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fi 4 71' 1 / 6 " INFO ONLY DISTRIBUTED TO: October 22, 1997 MAYOR Vicki Elmer =. s� rttli City Manager, City of Eugene 777 Pearl Street OCt 2 2 1, Eugene, Oregon 97401 ASST MGR r To the City of Eugene: COO DEPT PoliA Your decision to selectively cut only 12 of the 18 diseased and dangerous trees originally targeted for immediate removal near the Hendricks Park shelter has disturbed my family and I greatly. As one of only two families currently under serious threat from these trees, we are appalled that the trees that most threaten us were not included in your assessment for immediate removal. Five of the seven trees eliminated from your removal plan, R70, R71, R76, R77, and R83, are within 50 -75 feet of the sleeping quarters in my house, and impose a severe threat to our safety. Since they are all allocated a hazard rating of 8 based on standards established by the International Society of Arboriculture, which is the highest, most dangerous rating of trees originally targeted for removal by Public Works, it is inconceivable to me that they were not included in the first group for removal. They are also in the immediate vicinity of 3 other Hendricks Park trees* that fell across my property during the last few years as can be verified by Michael Robert, Head Gardener at Hendricks Park . The three trees that fell previously simply could not withstand the high winds because of their weakened and/or rotted root systems caused by excessive watering. In fact, your decision has created an even more dangerous scenario for my family, since removing some of the trees in the surrounding canopy would provide even less protection to the unique "venturi" wind that increases in velocity during a high westerly wind as it howls up Summit. Five of the seven trees eliminated from your cutting proposal are at the apex of the venturi tunnel, which would cause them to fall directly on my house. On October 12 I received a very encouraging phone call from my City Council representative, Laurie Swanson Gribskov, in which I was led to believe that all the "target" trees, or high risk factor trees that could fall and potentially cause injury or death, would be among the first to be removed later this fall or early winter. However, when I read the Memorandum sent out by Christine Andersen, Public Works Director, dated October 15, I was absolutely astonished to learn that the primary trees targeting my home were 5 of the 7 excluded from the removal plan. It's as though the City of Eugene is playing a high- stakes game of dice with our lives. Given the odds, it's a game I choose not to play. In my mind, the overall issue regarding the trees is pretty clear -cut: safety vs. aesthetics. My only concern throughout this entire process has been the safety of my family; I have complete confidence in the city's highly qualified landscape architecture and Public Works staff to maintain the quality aesthetic environment Hendricks Park has become known for. I have no hidden agenda regarding other issues associated with tree removal