Save the Trees 2.0 — Winn Room Trees
Our fight continues! In a 3-2 decision in August 2024, the Coronado City Council voted for Option 4 of the Winn Room expansion project which will destroy at least 5 health, mature trees and significantly build into the green park space of the West Plaza of our historic Spreckels Park. We are fighting back to save our trees and our historic park space!
These are the trees slated to die for option 4:
New Zealand Christmas Tree (~ 80-100 years old)
New Zealand Christmas Tree (~51 years old)
Canary Island Pine (~ 80-100 years old)
Cajeput/Melaleuca tree (~51 years old)
Evergreen Coral (~51 years old)
The price difference for Option 3 vs. Option 4 is $3.33MM and 28 seats. That’s a cost of $117,857 for each of those additional 28 seats.
Option 4:
Loss of 5 trees and green space.
Total of 208 seats (only 28 more seats than option 3)
Cost: $9.77MM
Option 3:
Loss of 1 tree. No loss of green space
Total of 180 seats
Cost $6.44MM
Save the Trees Coronado - VICTORY February 2024
Coronado, CA – Save the Coronado Trees is pleased to announce our victory in the fight to save Coronado’s public trees. The City of Coronado has agreed to “stop the chop” of five health, mature trees located by the lawn bowling court. All five trees slated for destruction by the City have been saved.
In September 2023 a small group of Coronado residents united to institute a legal challenge against the City of Coronado over its decision to cut down five healthy, mature trees as part of a project to replace the artificial turf at the City’s lawn bowling court. The trees slated for removal included a 100-year old Torrey Pine - recognized as the rarest native pine tree in North America - as well as four majestic Canary Island Pines. Our lawsuit challenged the City’s failure to comply with California environmental law and provide adequate notice to the community. The trees are prized by the community for providing beauty, shade, a range of environmental benefits and critical habitat to nesting birds such as herons and egrets and other wildlife. Hundreds of Coronado residents signed our petition to save the trees and attended our rallies to show support for the trees.
As a result of our lawsuit and months of public pressure by concerned citizens to save the trees, the City of Coronado agreed to withdraw all plans for the Lawn Bowling Green Turf Replacement Project, including the project’s tree removal permits. Consequently the five trees at issue in our case have been saved from destruction.
The City’s decision to abandon the project followed our 2023 court victory in which the Superior Court of California fully granted our requested preliminary injunction to prohibit the City of Coronado from cutting down the trees.
Save the Trees Coronado will be closely scrutinizing all future City projects for environmental impact. We need the public’s continued support to hold City Council accountable as good stewards of our trees and the environment.
We wish to express gratitude to our trial counsel, Bryan Pease and Parisa Ijadi-Maghsoodi, for their hard work and invaluable guidance, and to all of the Save the Trees volunteers for their tireless efforts and dedication.
Sincerely,
Save the Trees Coronado
Emily Jones
Mary Beth Milliken
Christine Mott
Shannon Player
Animal Protection and Rescue League
Left to right: Christine Mott, Emily Jones, Shannon Player, and Mary Beth Milliken
Left to right: Bryan Pease, Parisa Ijadi-Maghsoodi and Christine Mott