Tree Removal in Solana Beach, CA

Tree Removal in Solana Beach often comes up because of a view. The city is small, about 3.52 square miles, with 6,574 housing units packed between the ocean, Cardiff, Del Mar and Rancho Santa Fe, and many homes look west over a neighbor's yard. When a pine, eucalyptus or palm grows into someone's ocean view, the conversation can get tense. Knowing what the city does and does not regulate helps.

The city chose not to regulate trees and views

Solana Beach has a View Assessment chapter, but it applies to new structures and additions that rise above 16 feet, not to trees or landscaping. In 2008, after about 15 years of discussion, the City Council decided not to adopt an ordinance on vegetation that blocks views, and instead asked staff to put together a guidebook of resources and mediation information for neighbors. The Coast News reported that 23 of 40 residents in a 2007 workshop feedback period opposed an ordinance. California's spite fence law, which covers fences and rows of trees over 10 feet high built with malice, came up in that discussion, though one council member called it an unbelievably high hurdle.

What that means in practice

Tree work for view reasons in Solana Beach is usually worked out between neighbors. Common outcomes are crown thinning or reduction to open a window through the canopy, removing one or two trees out of a row, or full removal paid for by the neighbor who wants the view. When both sides agree, we can write the estimate to show exactly which limbs or trees come out, so there are no surprises on the day of the work.

On the bluffs

The city sits on sandstone bluffs, and bluff collapses have damaged improvements above the beach. Trees on bluff-top lots deserve the same caution as anywhere else on this coast: removing a tree can take away roots that help hold the soil, and grinding a stump close to the edge disturbs it further. Reducing weight and leaving roots in place is often the better plan near the edge.

The oldest neighborhood

La Colonia de Eden Gardens, formed in the 1920s, is one of the city's oldest residential areas. Lots there and in other older parts of town tend to have mature trees close to small houses and narrow streets, which means careful piece-by-piece removal and planning for parking and traffic during the work.

Weather

Solana Beach averages about 11.39 inches of rain a year, mostly November through March, with July nearly dry. Average highs are around 70 degrees, though the city has recorded 112. Long dry seasons are hard on coastal pines, and a pine that has browned at the top through summer is often a candidate for removal before winter storms.

Typical requests

• Thinning or reducing trees to restore a view, by agreement between neighbors
• Removing trees from tight side yards and courtyards
• Taking down declining coastal pines
• Weight reduction on bluff-top trees
• Stump grinding for patios and new plantings

Estimates

Call (760) 546-9994 or send photos. We are happy to meet both neighbors on site when a view is the issue, and we put the scope and price in writing. Get a free estimate