enlo Park.
It's known as the city of trees, with green, leafy canopies shading residential streets and such throughways as Willow Road and downtown Santa Cruz Avenue.
But along El Camino Real, the city of trees doesn't quite live up to its name. Except for a few small crape myrtle trees planted in median strips, there's little sign of greenery along Menlo Park's section of the roadway. "It's a pretty ugly place," said Menlo Park City Councilman Chuck Kinney. "It's just not very people-friendly."
El Camino's less-than-verdant appearance, however, is expected to start changing in early summer, when about 100 London plane trees are scheduled to be planted along El Camino from Valparaiso Avenue to Oak Grove Avenue.
The planting would mark the first phase of a plan to line the city's stretch of El Camino with 400 trees.
Although the project enjoys broad support from the City Council and the community, some El Camino merchants and property owners worry that the trees could block business signs. They're also concerned that falling leaves might clog roof drains, possibly leading to cave-ins when rain backs up.
Paying the bill
The total project is expected to cost more than $1 million, said Mr. Kinney, who serves on the steering committee for Trees for Menlo Inc., a nonprofit organization raising funds for the project. Money will come from private and public sources.
The first phase -- planting 100 trees -- will cost about $350,000. The city has budgeted $250,000, and Trees For Menlo has raised an additional $100,000.
The second phase -- planting 260 trees from San Francisquito Creek to Middle Avenue -- would cost about $500,000, said Mr. Kinney, who added that he doesn't yet know how the city and Trees for Menlo will split the cost.
He also didn't have a cost estimate for the project's third and final phase -- planting trees from Middle Avenue to Oak Grove Avenue.
Canopy concerns
About two-thirds of the trees will be planted in sidewalks, with the remainder planted along medians, said Mr. Kinney.
When they mature in about 10 years, he said, the trees will form a canopy over El Camino.
"I think it will be just fabulous," said Dick Poe, another member of Trees for Menlo's steering committee.
The idea of the canopy, however, has some merchants and property owners worried.
Bob Larson, who owns and operates Round Table Pizza restaurant at 1225 El Camino Real, said the median trees would block the view of his business from the northbound side of El Camino, while trees growing in front of his eatery may block business signs.
"It's going to cover up everyone's signage," he said. "If the signs are behind the canopy, does it mean you're out of luck?"
Mr. Larson, who sits on the board of directors of the Menlo Park Chamber of Commerce, credits Mr. Kinney with trying to ensure that El Camino merchants are aware of the tree project. Mr. Kinney has twice met with the board, and a meeting with El Camino merchants and property owners was held months ago, said Mr. Larson. Only about five business people attended the meeting, however.
Mr. Poe said that he personally sent out letters to every affected business and property owner.
Despite this effort, Mr. Larson contends that not enough merchants are aware of the effect the trees could have on their businesses. Greater discussion should have taken place, he said, before the city went ahead with the project.
Clogged drains
Al Felice, a Chamber of Commerce board member whose family business owns property on El Camino, said he is concerned that leaves may fall from the trees and clog rooftop drains, leading to collapsing ceilings.
"We are not against trees, just as long as safety concerns and safety issues are taken into consideration, as well as signage," he said.
As president of property development for the Giannotti/Vela Corp., a real estate management and development business, Mr. Felice noted that he is always careful to ensure that tree leaves do not fall on roofs when planning a new building.
"Roofs throughout the United States have collapsed from water," he said, adding that a rain or wind storm can lead to sudden blockage.
Kinney replies
Mr. Kinney said it's unlikely that fallen leaves would cause a roof to collapse. London plane trees shed their leaves only in mid- to late November, so roof drains would need to be checked only during this month, he said. London plane trees exist as part of the canopy on Santa Cruz Avenue, he noted, and, to his knowledge, there has never been a problem with roofs collapsing.
Trimming, he added, will prevent trees from covering business signs.
"It should not be a problem at all," he said, adding that officials from the city's engineering division are meeting with merchants to ensure that trees do not interfere with business signs or activities.
Mr. Poe, a broker with Alain Pinel Realty, said that the project should ultimately benefit El Camino property owners.
"I believe the owners will see an increase in property values as a result of this project," he said.
Contributors
While some worry about the project, about 350 people, including residents from Atherton and Palo Alto as well as Menlo Park, support it by contributing funds to Trees for Menlo.
So far, the organization has raised about $130,000, Mr. Kinney said. The largest single donation has come from developer David Bohannon, a lifelong Menlo Park resident who signed a check for a $50,000 matching grant.
Other donations have ranged in size from two $10,000 contributions made by anonymous donors to a $1 donation handed to Mr. Kinney by a grade-school student.
About $6,000 in the organization's coffers came from Mr. Kinney's leftover campaign funds from his November re-election bid.
Origins
The project was conceived in 1997, during Mr. Kinney's first term on the council. Mr. Kinney, who holds a master's degree in landscape architecture from Harvard University, said he wanted to beautify El Camino.
Over the course of three weekends, he walked El Camino, accompanied by landscape architects Ken Arutunian and Rick Ciardella, and made preliminary design plans.
Mr. Kinney approached the City Council with the idea for the project, and the council budgeted about $25,000 for design studies. In 1998, the plan gained further momentum after Trees for Menlo was formed following a meeting of local residents and business people held at Mr. Kinney's home.
El Camino, a state highway, is administered by Caltrans, and the project required Caltrans' permission to plant London plane trees along the medians. Mr. Kinney said he expects to submit the final set of plans for the first phase to Caltrans by the middle of this month, and he hopes to get a permit to plant the trees within six weeks of the submittal.
Mr. Kinney said that he is unlikely to run for a third term on the council, and hopes the final phase of the project will be completed around 2003-2004, as he leaves office.
"That will be a nice way to go out," he said.
