Dougherty Valley's Tree Nightmare

A Dougherty Valley landscaping planning blunder is causing significant problems for residents and frustrating city staff and elected officials.

The issue is so damaging, that an independent consulting group told the City Council earlier this year that it could cost $22 million over 20 years to solve the mishap.

And what is it that's causing all this?

Trees.

In 1996, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors approved the Dougherty Valley Specific Plan (the plan was amended in 2006), which was the framework for the residential expansion of Dougherty Valley.

Part of the plan was to plant thousands of trees in Dougherty Valley, including near sidewalks and planting strips between streets.

But as the trees grew over the years, and their roots continued to expand, in many instances the roots didn't have enough soil to grow. The roots of two common trees in Dougherty Valley — the Chinese Hackberry and Sycamore — started causing extensive damage to some sidewalks, curb and gutters, irrigation pipes and water and sewer laterals, according to city staff.

"It is frustrating," San Ramon Mayor Bill Clarkson said. "It's upsetting to me and residents."

In the last couple of years, the city has been clearing trees that have been damaging the city infrastructure. In January, the city announced it would remove about 100 trees (replacing them with 50) near the Bollinger Canyon Road and Windemere Parkway intersection, in an effort to proactively combat the problem.

With approximately 27,820 city-owned trees in Dougherty Valley, the city says this will likely be an ongoing issue that will impact many residents. Tree Associates, a consulting group that specializes in tree assessments, wrote in a report to the city that possibly half the trees in Dougherty Valley will cause damage within 20 years.

(Note: The full report from the Tree Associates is attached to this article.)

"We aren't just going to be cutting down trees without letting residents know," Public Services Director Karen McNamara said. "We really want to work with folks but we do need to develop a plan for action."