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City, Car Dealer Negotiating Replacement of Felled Pines

Posted on: Wednesday, 17 May 2006, 09:05 CDT

By Russell Clemings, The Fresno Bee, Calif.

May 17--Fresno city officials and a north Fresno car dealer will negotiate to replace four 30-year-old pine trees that were cut down Sunday by a landscaping crew before police officers stopped the work.

Development Director Nick Yovino said Tuesday his staff is talking with Michael Cadillac representatives about replacement of the pines, part of a line of 35 mature trees.

It's still unclear what type of trees would be planted, but city leaders want them to provide a buffer similar to the one provided by the towering pines, Yovino said.

"We'll have to sit down with him and come up with an acceptable plan," he said.

Michael owner Michael Rosvold said Tuesday he wants to replace the pines with cedars but does not yet know how tall they would be: "We haven't gotten that far yet."

Rosvold said the pines were cut because of a tendency to create litter.

"The trees are a mess," he said. "They put a lot of pine straw down. They put a lot of pollen all over our customers' cars."

A neighbor, Donna Locati, called City Council Member Brian Calhoun shortly after the crew began work Sunday morning. Calhoun called police, who stopped the work after four of the 35 trees had been brought down.

On Monday, Yovino said the trees were required by the county Board of Supervisors when the dealership was built about 30 years ago. The site has since been annexed into the city, but the requirement remains, he said.

The remaining trees appear to be in no immediate danger. Yovino said the city would consult with Rosvold on other ways to deal with the litter problem, such as trimming.

"We'll do everything we can to keep those trees there," Yovino said.

In a brief interview Tuesday, Rosvold dismissed the incident as "not newsworthy" and said discussions about how to replace the trees already were under way.

"I'm working with the city, and we'll work things out," he said.

The reporters can be reached at rclemings@fresnobee.com, mleedy@fresnobee.comor (559) 441-6330.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Fresno Bee, Calif.

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Source: The Fresno Bee

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