This is next door to us. The season and lighting is a little different, but on the right is the front of our townhouse complex. To the left there were 5 parcels of land, about 2.5 acres. When we moved in, there were 5 houses on those parcels, though one of them was vacant. They weren’t nice houses, pretty run down, and probably were what the whole neighborhood was like before they put in apartments and condos in the 70s and 80s. Three of the five houses eventually were torn down, and a developer came and bought the last 2 families out. So they have cut down 160 trees and are tearing down the last 2 houses, and they will put in a HUGE 6 story apartment building that reaches to the edges of the property, I think about 240 units. California desperately needs the housing, and we live right by a BART station, so there is some sense to it. But our little road is a dead end and only 1 lane each way, which cannot and will not be changed. We fought against it, asking for something more reasonable, ideally 2 or 3 story townhomes or even just a smaller apartment building, but we lost our fight and here we are. Ironically, our over priced townhomes will become even more desirable in comparison, so our home values will likely go up. That’s the silver lining, but the whole thing is depressing. Especially the oak trees, which I adore, that they took out. The eucalyptus trees I will not miss.
Oh, how sad to have lost those oak trees. Your photos certainly show the change. Our “city of trees” has been removing the eucalyptus ones in our community, including many in the medium on old Route 66 we call Foothill Blvd. They have been rather dangerous sometimes with branches falling so we won’t miss ours, either.
Eucalyptus trees do not belong near houses, I don’t think. Or roads. They do lose branches pretty easily (one came down in our yard a month or so ago, from a tree that borders our yard), and they are a fire hazard. And yet they have been planted all over California.
4 Comments
nance
Oh, that’s sad. More housing? Or is this a business district?
J
This is next door to us. The season and lighting is a little different, but on the right is the front of our townhouse complex. To the left there were 5 parcels of land, about 2.5 acres. When we moved in, there were 5 houses on those parcels, though one of them was vacant. They weren’t nice houses, pretty run down, and probably were what the whole neighborhood was like before they put in apartments and condos in the 70s and 80s. Three of the five houses eventually were torn down, and a developer came and bought the last 2 families out. So they have cut down 160 trees and are tearing down the last 2 houses, and they will put in a HUGE 6 story apartment building that reaches to the edges of the property, I think about 240 units. California desperately needs the housing, and we live right by a BART station, so there is some sense to it. But our little road is a dead end and only 1 lane each way, which cannot and will not be changed. We fought against it, asking for something more reasonable, ideally 2 or 3 story townhomes or even just a smaller apartment building, but we lost our fight and here we are. Ironically, our over priced townhomes will become even more desirable in comparison, so our home values will likely go up. That’s the silver lining, but the whole thing is depressing. Especially the oak trees, which I adore, that they took out. The eucalyptus trees I will not miss.
Joared
Oh, how sad to have lost those oak trees. Your photos certainly show the change. Our “city of trees” has been removing the eucalyptus ones in our community, including many in the medium on old Route 66 we call Foothill Blvd. They have been rather dangerous sometimes with branches falling so we won’t miss ours, either.
J
Eucalyptus trees do not belong near houses, I don’t think. Or roads. They do lose branches pretty easily (one came down in our yard a month or so ago, from a tree that borders our yard), and they are a fire hazard. And yet they have been planted all over California.