Save Sutter Trees

Stop the clear cutting of 205 mature trees in the main parking lot of Sutter Hospital in West Davis. This plan to turn the parking lots into a forest steel columns to hold  solar panels was recently approved by the City of Davis. This approach ignores the positive healing effects of trees. Their are alternative: Sutter could put the panels on roofs, in remote parking lots or in the empty field behind the hospital so very few mature trees in there main parking lots would need to be removed.

1. We can stop the Sutter project with an appeal to the Davis City Council - but it that will cost $229.  This gofundme will fund this appeal.

2. After contributing, sign the Petition to the City Council to save the trees at  CHANGE.ORG Click here 

3. Follow the facebook page DavisLorax to keep up on developments and time of the appeal. 

We are raising money for:
1) City fee to appeal to city council
2) Lawn signs to raise awareness (you will be able to pick up at farmers market 2nd week August)
3) Possible court challenge if city council does not undo the permited for cutting issued without public hearing at Tree Commission

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Health and Trees Linked: There is persuasive data that trees make a healthier environment where people feel less stress, heal faster, and feel better. Yet Sutter decided that putting solar panels in the central parking lot is the cheapest way, with the result that a healthy environment will take a backseat. This project was developed and approved with token city notice to the community.

Backstory: While the City of Davis requires 50% tree shade in parking lots, its staff quietly approved removal of 142 trees in the Sutter parking lot two years ago with no notice to the public or hearing before the City’s Tree Commission. This project remained hidden from view for 2 years until Sutter requested 63 more trees be removed for an even larger solar array, that would effectively remove every mature tree in it parking lots, leaving just a few trees along the exterior roads and entrance area.

Commercial Interests Get A Pass on  Trees Removal Process:   If a Davis homeowner wants to remove a protected city tree from their front yard, there must be a hearing before the Tree Commission and a notice posted at the home.   But the city allowed Sutter to obtain approval to remove 205 trees with little or no notice: the public notice was token at best: It only disclose tree removal in a had a shrunk down and unreadable blueprint. And this public notice was only mailed to businesses on John Jones Road and student apartments on West Covell -- at a time when most apartments were empty during summer break. And they were just given ten days to respond.

City Ignores Tree Neglect.  As a condition of approval of new projects, developers are required to promise to plant new tree to provide shade, and of course maintain them.  Yet the city staff ignore it when the landlord kills these legally required trees by neglect, If you see a dead, stunted or missing tree in a parking lot in Davis, that is code violation. 

For More information, read the Davis Vanguard article:  City Will Have to Weigh between Trees and Solar Panels at Sutter as Complaints Reign about Public Process  click here for vanguard story 
 

SIGN THE PETITION TO CITY COUNCIL AT  CHANGE.ORG :click here  Change.org http://chng.it/mft8fNRGmF