Let's connect!
Enjoy Mill Valley
  • HOME
  • EVENTS & GUIDES
    • 2020-21 EMV Guide
    • 2020 Mill Valley Wine, Beer & Gourmet Food Tasting
    • Winterfest >
      • About Winterfest
    • Calendar
    • Special Events
  • EAT
  • Stay
  • VISIT
    • Muir Woods
    • PLAY
    • Tour
    • Map
    • PRESS
  • SHOP
    • Enjoy Mill Valley Store
    • Shopping Areas
    • Apparel and Jewelry
    • Automotive
    • Banking & Financial Services
    • Biz, Consumer & Professional Services
    • Beauty & Grooming
    • Fitness & Sports
    • Food & Wine
    • Home & Garden
    • Kids & Pets
    • Health & Wellness
    • Nonprofit Organizations
    • Real Estate
    • Specialty Shops
  • A&E
  • EMV Films
  • BLOG
  • Mill Valley Chamber
  • City of Mill Valley
  • CONTACT US
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise on Enjoy Mill Valley
  • ShopMV

Neighbors Appeal City Decision to Allow New Apizza Restaurant Owner to Remove Trees at Ex-Gira Polli Site

4/6/2020

14 Comments

 
Hearing is set for May 4.
Picture
There hasn’t been a more visibly vacant commercial space in Mill Valley over the past several years – save for the blank canvas that is the mother of all retaining walls at 500 Miller Ave. – than the former Gira Polli space at 590 East Blithedale and Camino Alto.

Bay Area food industry vets Pascal Rigo and Nicolas Bernadi have been hoping to change that, leasing the building with the hopes of making it one of the locations for La Boulangerie, the post-Starbucks, slightly renamed rebirth of their popular La Boulange cafes and eateries. They shifted gears earlier this year and decided to make the space home to Apizza, their simple, affordable pizza shop that already has a successful location on Fillmore Street in San Francisco.

Given the shelter in place order in effect through May 3 to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the Apizza renovation is on indefinite hiatus, as is all construction in Mill Valley. And even when that prohibition on non-essential construction is over, they face extremely dire economic circumstance wrought by the outbreak.

But before they have a chance to overcome those significant hurdles, they're facing a neighbor protest to the Mill Valley Planning Commission's approval of Apizza's request to remove a few trees in front of the building at the corner of East Blithedale and Camino Alto. Susan Kirsch, representing the Freeman Park Neighborhood Association, filed an appeal to the Planning Commission’s approval of the tree permit earlier this month.

The City Council was set to hear the appeal on April 20, but Kirsch asked to postpone the hearing because a virtual public hearing, as required under the shelter in place order, would not allow their supporters to provide input in a “normal” manner. City officials agreed to postpone the hearing to May 4, which is within the 45-day timeframe required for appeal hearings. The format of the hearing will depend upon the status of the Shelter in Place Order that ends for the time being on May 3, according to Newman.

The five blackwood acacia and eucalyptus trees were determined by an arborist to be non-heritage trees, according to Lisa Newman, a senior planner with the city. The commission backed the request to remove five 50-foot trees and replace them with red maples – up to 11 trees, each with a 48-inch box.

The trees are also considered a fire threat, have shallow root systems that could damage infrastructure and pose a danger to motorists when the branches are not maintained, according to a report by Bartlett Tree Experts.

The tree removal is part of Bay Area food industry vets Pascal Rigo and Nicolas Bernadi's plans to "rejuvenate that corner, bring it back alive, fix the building and the site, which is in terrible repair and give something to the community,” Mill Valley architect Christopher Raker told the Marin IJ.

​​Want to know what's happening around town? Click here to subscribe to the Enjoy Mill Valley Blog by Email!.​

14 Comments
Dawn Ehmann
4/12/2020 08:13:32 am

All acacia and eucalyptus should be removed, they are non native, messy and fire hazard.
So many other beautiful trees could be planted as a replacement.

Reply
Don Campbell
4/12/2020 09:25:53 am

I strongly support Dawn on this issue. These trees should be removed.
I consider the 11 new trees as too many. I also object to planting trees close to the property lines. Trees should be allowed to grow naturally without overhand onto a neighbors property.
As to species, I suggest the Planning Commision consider Crepe Myrtle which are used successfully in smaller sunny areas.

Reply
Kelley Fullerton-Bloom
4/12/2020 08:14:01 am

Don’t we have enough pizza in Mill Valley- Stefanos, Roccos, Whole Foods, even Safeway? We are really missing a nice outdoor cafe since the Book Depot debacle.. seems like a perfect place for bookstore cafe.

Reply
francoise richards
4/12/2020 02:41:30 pm

I agree that we have enough pizza places to go to already. And those trees might not be heritage but they are quite attractive

Reply
angela gilbert weber
4/12/2020 04:52:27 pm

Mature trees are NOT replaceable, irregardless of whether they are native or not. Any replacements will also be non native!! Smaller trees just give the property the look of a strip shopping center.

angela gilbert weber
4/12/2020 04:50:02 pm

I completely agree. The world doesn't need yet another pizza joint.

Reply
Jeffrey Lau
4/12/2020 08:48:15 am

Residents like Ms. Kirsch in this town would do well to stop wasting people’s time and money to save fire hazards, and mind their own “businesses”.

Reply
angela gilbert weber
4/12/2020 04:54:20 pm

Ms. Kirsch should not be demeaned. I happen to agree with her as well. The ambience of living in a prosperous suburb depends upon mature trees.

Reply
Alice Shiffman
4/12/2020 10:41:04 am

When I first realized these were being cut, I was sad. However the trees are not native to California, forget the fact they are not Heritage trees. Both are on the Firesafe Marin for extremely hazardous
trees.. They have grown overpowering tall and if one fell over it could easily kill anyone in its path--or crumple a car at this very busy intersection. Whatever the building will be, has already been decided
and anything Mr. Rigo has his hands on will be something we will all
visit. Supporting Dawn whoever she is.

Reply
Marcia Hewitt
4/12/2020 07:08:10 pm

Trees: Leave 'em and trim as needed to prevent limbs from falling. My concern is about the traffic. La Boulangerie with places to sit/stay would be a better choice than a biz with in/out traffic.

Reply
Jade Leong
4/13/2020 07:24:10 am

For asthetics of course it would be great to keep the trees in place yet this is not the reality of what really needs to be done. However the trees are not native to California and not heritage trees not to mention a potential fire hazard. Not being knowledgeable about growth and roots of trees it would stand to reason that trees planted too close together would have trouble possibly thriving due to competing for nourishment from the soil.

Reply
D. Chittenden
4/14/2020 01:31:12 pm

We 100% support the updated vegetation plan.We would have preferred a different type of restaurant but the "market" and the consumer determine the restaurant. Please remove these hazardous
and fire prone trees.

Reply
Jade Leong
4/15/2020 07:15:08 am

What do you mean by the "market" and the consumer determine the restaurant?

Reply
Susan Kirsch
4/17/2020 11:19:24 pm

The Freeman Park Neighborhood Association is enthusiastic about Apizza's plans to open their restaurant and revitalize this unique entrance into Mill Valley. With a display of neighborly good and confidence Trees & PIzza are a winning combination, we could be their biggest and most loyal customer base in a town with a lot of pizza competition.

But let's get some facts straight.
1. The Red Ironbark Eucalyptus is NOT one of the fire hazard trees. It is one of 150 species of eucalyptus trees planted in CA.
2. The trees "could" damage infrastructure like sewer lines, but there's no evidence they have.
3. The uneven sidewalk, caused by the roots, is common throughout Mill Valley and is usually repaired with a process called "grinding." Three of the 4 planning commissioners said they weren't worried about the sidewalk. (Listen to 3/10 PC meeting tape.)
4. The branches "could" pose a danger to motorists when they're not maintained. But, really? Do you support cutting down four healthy trees instead of trimming the branches?
5. The City's own arborist reported 4 of the 5 trees "exhibit good health," and the dead tree should be removed. We agree.
6. Remember the profound environmental and psychological benefits of mature trees. Trees add beauty, reduce global warming, remove carbon and pollutants; reduce noise, capture and conserve water, provide a habitat for birds and bugs, and shade on a hot day. That's why we have the support of the Sierra Club-Marin Group and Sustainable Mill Valley,

Preserving these trees is in alignment with Mill Valley's General Plan 2040 which identifies a primary goal--To :protect and enhance the natural beauty and small-town character of Mill Valley.

Join us for a Tree Town Hall Zoom meeting. Sat, April 25 at 1:00 pm.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81735137456?pwd=clBmYk9MaHl2THBWQkkzZ2NIQm8zUT09

Meeting ID: 817 3513 7456
Password: 780080
One tap mobile
+16699009128,,81735137456#,,#,780080# US (San Jose)

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Subscribe to the free Enjoy Mill Valley Blog

    * required
    Click here to subscribe to the free Enjoy Mill Valley Blog by Email!

    RSS Feed

    Blog Archives

    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013

    Categories

    All
    142 Throckmorton
    Art
    Arts & Entertainment
    City Council
    City Of Mill Valley
    County Of Marin
    Depot Plaza
    Downtown Mill Valley
    Emergency Preparedness
    First Tuesday Artwalk
    Food & Drink
    Holidays
    Kiddo!
    Live Music
    Local Laws
    Marin Mommies
    Marin Theatre Company
    Miller Avenue
    Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival
    Mill Valley Film Festival
    Mill Valley History
    Mill-valley-in-the-news
    Mill Valley Library
    Mill Valley Market
    Mill Valley School District
    Mount Tamalpais
    MV Chamber Biz Buzz
    Parks & Recreation
    Philanthropy
    Public Restrooms
    Restaurants
    Shopping
    Strawberry Village
    Sweetwater Music Hall
    Tam High
    Tam Junction
    Tam Valley
    The Redwoods
    Volunteerism

Picture
   
85 Throckmorton Avenue
Mill Valley, Callifornia 94941
415.388.9700
info@millvalley.org



Copyright 2018 Mill Valley Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center
All images used with permission and/or source attribution.
Site Design by Linda Rosso Marketing and Communications