By RAELYNN RICARTE
News staff writer
November 9, 2007

Luz Cordova almost broke down in tears on Monday afternoon while talking about Hood River County’s dismemberment of the tree in her front yard.

“I’m very upset. It’s just terrible — poor old tree,” she said in broken English.

Her son, Gus Cordova, is angry that the Public Works crew removed every branch on the south side of the black walnut tree. He owns the Sheridan Court property where his mother resides and believes one of them should have been contacted prior to the action taking place.

“It might have needed a pruning but it didn’t need to be destroyed,” said Cordova.

He said sap has been flowing down the trunk of the tree since the removal of its two main branches on Nov. 2. He is now worried the unbalanced tree that already leans toward the house will come crashing down during an ice storm this winter.

Dean Guess, public works director, said the tree limbs had to be cut back to comply with safety regulations. He said the branches were hanging low enough to violate the 9-foot height rule over sidewalks and 14-feet over the street.

“We try not to make taxpayers unhappy but we have certain guidelines to follow to keep our roads safe,” said Guess.

Virtually all of Cordova’s neighbors disagree with the county’s assertion that the 80-year-old tree posed a hazard to either motorists or pedestrians. They contend the cul-de-sac has limited traffic and the tree did not block passage of a 15-foot-high log truck owned by one of the residents or an almost 12-foot-high recycling truck.

Resident Joan Chapman said that her husband, Clyde, stands over six feet tall. And he had no problem walking on the sidewalk under the tree canopy.

“There was no clearance problem with that tree. It was just unbelievable that they would come in and do that,” she said.

Gus said one of the county workers who later visited the site gave another “excuse” for damaging the tree. He was told the leaves were clogging the stormwater drain.

Both of his immediate neighbors, Adan Renteria and Jean North, said Luz raked up the leaves daily. And Gus took the bagged leaves out to his orchard in Odell for burning.

Glenda Hooper, president of the Sheridan Court Homeowner’s Association, said the storm drain lies at the end of the street and nowhere near the Cordova residence. She contends the county has actually placed the Cordova home at risk with its actions.

“I see this as an abuse of power, they did it because they can, and that is what makes this so frustrating,” she said.

“I want the county to be responsible and pay for the treatment and survival of that tree.”

Hooper, Renteria, North and Chapman agree with Cordova that prior notification should have been given before any cutting took place.

“We pay for our own snowplowing and road maintenance so I don’t know why they (county) stuck their nose in now,” said Renteria, who lives next door.

He said the only large-sized tree on the block was a welcome source of shade in the summer.

“I was shocked because nobody was having a problem with that tree,” said North, who resides across the street.

Guess said 12 Public Works employees are responsible to maintain 208 miles of road right-of-way. He said limited manpower makes it impossible to notify every homeowner about plans to cut back vegetation along that route.

“We just have to do everything that we can with what we have. Our number one concern is public safety,” he said.

Guess said two-thirds of the trunk on the Cordova tree sits within the public right-of-way. So, the county has offered to cut it down and eliminate any potential hazard to the house.

Gus said three years ago the county crew came by and pruned the tree. He was satisfied with that effort and would have been willing to redo that work if asked.

“I bought this lot in 1997 for my mother and father (who died in August) because of that tree and we made sure it was safe during construction,” he said. He said it is likely the black walnut will have to be removed. But it will be a bleak day for his mother when the cutting begins.

“They came and ruined something that nature gave me when I bought this land,” said Cordova.