Claraboya Neighborhood Street Tree Survey

Published on August 20, 2025

Claremont is a community that recognizes trees as one of its most valuable resources, and preservation of our urban forest continues to be of great importance. The City continually evaluates its trees to balance the health of our urban forest with community safety and infrastructure longevity. The Community Services Department is currently evaluating the pine trees in the Claraboya neighborhood and would like to hear from residents before any recommendations are made relative to these trees.

Over the years, discussions have taken place among residents regarding the City-owned pine trees located within the rights-of-way in front of many of the homes in your neighborhood. Residents in the neighborhood have often spoken before the Tree Committee, Community and Human Services Commission, and City Council of their concerns regarding the safety of the pine trees, particularly after the windstorm of January 2022. The City Council has directed staff to develop a removal and replacement plan for the Claraboya pine trees, and the first step in this process is to solicit feedback from Claraboya residents.

For removal requests of any City-owned trees in the City, the Community and Human Services Commission is required to adhere to policies approved and adopted by the City Council, which prohibit the removal of a street tree unless the tree is dead, in a state of severe decline, or poses an immediate hazard. However, the City recognizes that some unique conditions may exist that could warrant a more expedient removal and replacement program for the pine trees in the Claraboya area. This program may result in the removal of a number of large, healthy, well-established trees that would otherwise not be considered for removal.

While all of the City pine trees in the Claraboya neighborhood remain healthy and vigorous, we remain mindful of the existing concerns of the neighborhood. At this time, the concerns of the neighborhood may outweigh the benefits these trees provide. Ultimately, all of the pine trees will need to be replaced with a species more appropriate for the neighborhood. Any tree removed would be replaced, and the property owner will be able to choose a replacement species from the Designated Street Tree List.

We welcome the Claraboya neighborhood residents' input on this issue and invite them to complete a brief survey, which can be accessed and submitted using any of the following means:

Complete the Survey

Please complete the survey by September 11, 2025.

The results of this survey will help develop a course of action for the City pine trees in the Claraboya neighborhood. These results will be presented at a community meeting at the Alexander Hughes Center on September 29, 2025 at 6:30 p.m.