Resident Denise Katko tells city officials on Aug. 21 that they need to update the tree ordinance, which is two decades old, that she alleges does not distinguish between commercial and residential properties. Photo courtesy of the West Sacramento News Ledger

WEST SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - Taking down a tree is not as easy as it sounds here. 

Resident Denise Kotko opened her short speech on Aug. 21 from the podium on the city's tree ordinance noting she had not approached the dais in 13 years on another matter. Kotko reminded officials that the ordinance established in 2004 still "doesn't make a distinction between what happens on a residential property and what happens on a commercial property" two decades later.

The problem for the resident was the “big old tree” in her yard, which was there when she moved in 47 years ago. Katko said when she applied to have the tree removed, she was not happy with the mandate.

“I would have to plant 38 trees in my front yard to replace that one tree,” Kotko said of her minimally sized residential lot.

Public Information Officer (PIO) Paul Hosley said the present tree ordinance requires the mitigation for the removal of a healthy, protected tree to help compensate for the loss of canopy that would occur when the tree is removed.

“The West Sacramento Urban Forest helps cool our communities by up to seven degrees from the urban heat island effect; it filters our air, sequesters carbon, provides shades to our homes, and helps slow stormwater runoff,” Hosley said.

“Large mature trees do this at a rate 500 to 600 times more than newly planted trees, and the amount exponentially increases over time.”

Katko said after talking to the city's “tree guy,” she was told she could appeal. 

“I asked my daughter to check on the appeal process, and she found a menagerie of whatever the person does with appeals, but it was a hoop I don't know how to jump through,” Kotko said.

“I could appeal, plant the 38 trees, or pay the city $12,000 to take a tree out of my front yard.”

Hosley said the appeal process is pretty straightforward.

“One fills out an appeals request form, which can be found online, submits it to the City Manager’s office, and a date is set up with the Appeals Court Judge for an appointment,” Hosley said.

“The meeting typically lasts less than an hour for matters concerning trees, and participants can meet virtually or in person at City Hall.”

Katko told officials that carpenter ants were found after trimming the tree “so we could take the tree out.”

“But that does not help the next guy,” Katko said. “Why does a developer with 40 acres have to plant 38 trees for a residential lot, and my lot is probably only a quarter of an acre, so I have to plant 38 trees?”

Hosley said the City Tree Preservation Ordinance seeks to replace a portion of the canopy lost when a heritage tree is removed by planting new trees, a general practice throughout the industry and region.

“The ordinance requires a new tree to be planted for every diameter inch of healthy heritage tree removed,” Hosley said. “For example, if a very large heritage tree had a diameter off 38 inches, then the mitigation would require 38 new trees be planted to help supplement the canopy loss.”

Hosley said West Sacramento is in the process of reviewing and updating the Tree Preservation Ordinance.

“The ordinance as it stands is in line with ordinances from neighboring municipalities, though we seek to further adapt our ordinance to personalize it to West Sacramento's makeup,” Hosley said.

The Public Information Officer added, “The major focus on equity is to see how best to differentiate the requirements for residents versus developers as well as look holistically at what other scenarios might occur within our city limits.”