In an effort to make the process for planting a commemorative tree in San Mateo fair and efficient, city officials are establishing guidelines for managing inquiries about a way to remember loved ones.
Parks and Recreation Director Sheila Canzian acknowledged the city doesn’t receive inquiries about commemorative tree planting on a regular basis, but noted the department does receive some six or seven inquiries a year.
Because staff can spend considerable time negotiating the terms of individual planting requests, city officials created a handout outlining how staff can facilitate tree plantings with the goal of ensuring they are efficient, fair and done in a way that does not detract from staff’s regular duties, according to a staff report.
Canzian said proposed measures to determine where plantings may go in city parks, offer commemorative plaques on park benches instead of on a tree and schedule tree planting ceremonies were supported by members of the Parks and Recreation Commission at its Wednesday meeting.
According to the report, requests for specific tree species and planting sites may not be consistent with park planning goals and negotiating these details with callers can be time-consuming. In response, officials proposed having parks staff determine planting sites and tree species to ensure they are consistent with park designs and best practices. Though the department cannot guarantee the availability of specific parks and sites, staff will try to accommodate specific requests when possible, according to the report.
Because affixing a plaque to a young tree may negatively affect its health and standalone monuments may be vandalized or deteriorate, staff proposed advising those requesting plaques to consider a commemorative bench where the plaque is flush with the seat and less susceptible to vandalism, according to the report.
In an effort to address challenges with coordinating groundbreaking ceremonies, parks staff will coordinate plantings with contractors during the city’s regularly-scheduled planting season between mid-December and mid-March, and those requesting a planting will be notified by staff once the tree is planted, according to the report.
Canzian said commissioners suggested giving families an opportunity to come to a site before a tree is planted there so they can do their own groundbreaking ceremonies, in addition to letting them know the tree has been planted so they can hold a ceremony after.
(650) 344-5200 ext. 106
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