Gibbons Drive is a cherished part of Alameda, celebrated not only for its historic homes and community spirit but also for its majestic Liquid Amber trees. For over 100 years, these trees have formed a lush canopy over this beautiful corridor, providing necessary shade during hot summers, enhancing the neighborhood's character, and contributing to the environmental health of our community and remain extremely healthy according to the city's arborist.

Recently, the City of Alameda has raised concerns about sidewalk safety due to heaving and drainage issues caused by these trees. In response, there is a growing call to remove these beloved and healthy trees, which we believe is a misguided solution. It presents a false dichotomy: the perception that we must choose between maintaining our urban forest and ensuring the safety and accessibility of our sidewalks.

The Facts:

• The City of Alameda Planning Department has released a draft plan that recommends the removal healthy trees in an effort to improve accessibility and sidewalk access.
• Under the current draft approach, up to 56 healthy, mature trees (50% of the canopy) could be removed in under six years, with up to 75% removed in under 11 years and the potential for replacement of the entire 112-tree canopy in under 16 years.
• The Liquid Amber trees on Gibbons are extremely healthy according to the independent arborist and could live at least another 100 years
• We believe Alameda can improve sidewalk accessibility while preserving the mature, healthy trees that define Gibbons Drive; not replacing them with saplings that will take decades to provide the same shade, beauty, wildlife habitat, and environmental and health benefits.

We are asking the City to:

1. Maximize the preservation of healthy, mature trees while improving accessibility.
2. Continue refining the draft approach by exploring additional practical design alternatives to address accessibility, safety, environmental, and neighborhood priorities, like flexible sidewalks, narrowing at tree locations and meandering into yards where neighbors approve;
3. Limit tree removals to no more than 5% during any five-year interval, creating a strong incentive to prioritize only the most necessary removals and pursue innovative, tree-preserving design solutions, while maintaining the full public review process and requiring clear, project-specific justification for every proposed tree removal.

Join us in preserving the legacy of Gibbons Drive's Liquid Amber trees. Sign this petition to demand thoughtful, innovative solutions that honor our community's values and our environment while providing safe accessible sidewalk for all of Alameda's resident to enjoy.