Goleta residents are trying to save trees slated for removal as part of planned road improvements in a northeast neighborhood.

The City of Goleta is evaluating nine trees along Berkeley Road to be removed next week after already removing five trees along the same street and two trees along Stow Canyon Road, per the advice of a city-hired arborist, according to Kelly Hoover, Goleta’s community relations manager.

Neighbors hired their own arborist, Autumn Fish, who reported that three of the trees set for removal are still viable and healthy.

The city-hired arborist found that some of the trees have existing health issues, while others have root systems that would be damaged by the pavement work. The city is only removing the trees not expected to survive the road work repairs in the area, according to Hoover.

The city is removing the trees as part of planned road improvements for the 2025 Arterial Pavement Project, which involves replacing pavement, upgrading ADA-compliant curb ramps, and updating traffic striping in portions of the northeast Goleta neighborhood, and portions of Calle Real, Berkeley Road, Hollister Avenue, South Fairview Avenue, Stroke Road and Los Carneros Road. 

“As part of the 2025 Arterial Pavement Project, several areas were redesigned to preserve trees where feasible as we understand the importance of trees to our community and only consider removal after all safe, reasonable options have been evaluated,” Hoover said. 

Kalia Rork and Jeff Kuyper both live near Berkeley Road and are two of about a dozen residents working to stop the removal of the three healthy trees that Fish identified. The group of neighbors even put together a website to raise awareness about the tree removal.

As a Realtor, Rork said the removal of trees will change the atmosphere of the neighborhood by eliminating many shaded areas.

“When I was walking my dog in the heat of the summer, we would try to go before it gets too hot, but we would sprint in between trees,” Rork said. “If there were no trees, I wouldn’t be able to walk my dog.”

Some of the trees set for removal have significant trunk or root decay. Kuyper said they understand that those trees need to be removed, but they want the healthy ones that Fish identified to stay.

“It’s sad that the trees that have been standing here longer than many of us have been alive will need to come down, but we also have a sense of responsibility to try to do what we can to protect them,” Kuyper said.

Kuyper and Rork said they wished they had more warning that tree removal was going to be a part of the project and wished the city had more of a plan to replant the trees.

While the project doesn’t include replacing trees, Hoover said the city is working on a future street tree planting program, which will take time and additional funding. 

The city-hired arborist also is evaluating trees along Calle Real between Plumas and Sonoma avenues, and roots will be pruned as part of the roadway improvement construction.

While the city plans to keep the current trees, Hoover said removal will depend on the arborist’s recommendation based on how severely the roots will be affected.