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Santa Rosa
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Heritage redwood 'Rosie' at 721 Spring Street

Santa Rosa

Summary

A 70-foot heritage redwood in the McDonald Historic District became the center of a fight between new homeowners who want it removed over sidewalk, driveway and utility concerns, and neighbors who gathered hundreds of signatures to save it. The commission sided with preservation, denying the removal permit 3-2.

At a glance

Total mentions
1
Last 30 days
1

Discussed at 1 meeting in the last 60 days; most recently Oct 8, 2026.

Impact analysis

💰Financial impact

The owners face potentially tens of thousands of dollars in sidewalk, driveway and tree-related costs either way; a bulb-out design was estimated under $10,000 by the appellant.

✅Who benefits

Neighbors and tree-preservation advocates who fought to keep the redwood, plus anyone who values the historic district's canopy.

⚠️Who could be affected

The property owners, who must still resolve the sidewalk damage and code violation with the tree remaining in place.

Mentions & discussions (1)

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