Angelo Gladding

Commissioners,

Does our fire chief know:

  • the difference between natives and invasives

  • how to instruct pruning according to ISA standards

  • the difference between a "shrub" and a "tree"

  • the role shrubs and trees provide in our hills – erosion control, noise reduction, aesthetics, ecology

  • the role extirpation of invasive weeds plays in wildfire, defensible space and the care of native shrubs and trees – overclearing can lead to "type conversion" to invasive grassland

The tree ordinance doesn't require on-site replacements. It is up to the Director's discretion and I've spoken to our director and our Director DOES. NOT. CARE. AT. ALL. For this reason we also need to keep notifications and appeals. Some of you were on the commission when I had to appeal a completely broken removal application. You saw what happened Commissioners Siegel and Law. Try a radius map generator I created at ragt.ag/south-pasadena/trees/radius-map – with the addition of a paid API call I can produce names and owner addresses streamlining the appeal process completely. The tool could be used for creating a replacement plan that actually shows accurate structure sizes and existing tree canopies.

Page 19 of the agenda shows what our fire chief has thus far shared with residents of the hills. "High" only lists 100' defensible space. The slope spacing of shrubs and trees is going to catch everyone off guard. Two of the people I've spoken to didn't even attend the Fire Hazard meeting–they have no clue. The laws are being written today but the inspections don't start until 2029. This needs to be done right now. There needs to be a plan for cautious clearing, mitigation for removals and overall site remediation. The end result should be stretches of private properties forming seamless "mosaics".

I have heard nothing about deadwood. Deadwood creates a "live-dead fule complex", Zone 1 calls for it and it is, after Zone 0, the second most important nuance to get right. The difference between a shrub/bush/plant with 80-90% bone dry deadwood and 0% deadwood is pruning style–hedging versus hand pruning. There needs to be a culture shift in home landscaping and our various codes needs to reflect that.

There's work to be done and you all need to do it. Reopen public comments. Stay late. Keep working. The city needs this and we need it done right.

Thank you,
Angelo Gladding
Vice President, South Pasadena Beautiful