More trees planned for peninsula

-- Mathis Winkler

About 37 Nichols’ willow-leafed peppermint trees are expected to

replace 13 eucalyptus trees on Balboa Boulevard in the peninsula’s

downtown area after a City Council subcommittee recommended the species

at a meeting Tuesday.

Councilmen Tod Ridgeway and Steve Bromberg voted in favor of the

willows after several residents supported the idea. Councilman Gary

Proctor, the third member on the committee, was absent from the meeting.

Along with a proposal to replace ficus trees with coral gum trees

along Main Street, the willow project now needs to go before the city’s

Parks, Beaches and Recreation Commission, which is scheduled to discuss

both matters at a July 3 meeting.

The tree planting forms part of the city’s $7.5-million revitalization

project for the downtown area that’s scheduled to begin in October. City

officials recommended the willow over two other species for several

reasons.

Because coral trees have already been chosen for Main Street, adding

the same species to the peninsula’s traffic artery could cause

devastating damage if insects infest the trees. By having two different

species, the danger that both could be affected is lessened, said Marcy

Lomeli, the city’s park and tree supervisor.

The willows also fared better compared with the silver-dollar gum, a

third tree in the running, because it grows faster and doesn’t require

the same amount of maintenance, Lomeli said.

The trees will cost about $200 each, and city officials said they’ll

grow them for several months before planting them.