Until a little over a week ago, there was a large and stately maple tree on Buena Vista Avenue near Walnut Street. Unfortunately, whoever planted the maple—sometime in the 1920s or earlier, based on the 3-foot-thick trunk—put it right on top of a sewer line. Eventually the tree lifted the sidewalk and clogged the sewer.
The tree, however, was beautiful, and also host to several bird nests.
Alameda Deputy City Manager Amy Woolridge said, “The tree was inspected by the City’s arborist in November and was determined to be in poor condition due to an insect infestation. The infestation likely resulted from prior efforts to modify the adjacent hardscape to address the ADA (Accessibility) issues. That work caused significant wounds to the tree, which then became susceptible to insects. The arborist also evaluated the possibility of additional sidewalk repairs but concluded that further work would only cause more harm to an already declining tree. Based on these findings, the tree was posted for removal on November 21, 2025.”
Work to remove the tree started on Monday, December 29. The branches first checked for active bird nests, according to Public Works, and then removed that day. The trunk was removed the following day, December 30. The contractor then proceeded to grind the stump down to sidewalk level. At that point, the tree removal became a public emergency.
Alameda Public Works head Erin Smith stated, “As part of the tree stump removal, our contractor submitted an Underground Service Alert (USA), or Call Before You Dig, ticket for the excavation area. This was done a number of days ago. Unfortunately, PG&E identified the location as having no PG&E facilities. Based on that information, the contractor proceeded with excavation and hit a gas service line.”
PG&E spokesperson Paul Moreno gave a different version of events. “The contractor called Underground Service Alert (USA) to have underground utilities marked and PG&E personnel came out and marked the gas line with paint and flags on December 3,” Moreno stated. “By California law, hand tools must be used to dig two feet on each side of the marks to expose the gas line before power tools can be used. The contractor removing the tree did not expose the gas line before using a grinder to remove the tree stump. The grinder hit the gas line.”
Alameda Fire Department showed up shortly after the accident, cleared the scene from a safety standpoint, and determined that no evacuations were needed. PG&E was called at 12:35 p.m. Their crews set up spotlights and worked for several hours after dark. They returned on New Year’s Eve and completed the job.
Because the damaged service line material does not allow for a spot repair, PG&E had to replace the entire service line, necessitating a lane closure while the work was underway.
Margie Siegal is a long term gardener in Alameda and a supporter of Alameda Backyard Growers. Reach her via [email protected]. Her writing is collected at AlamedaPost.com/Margie-Siegal.
