34 City Trees
process by requesting different whimsical features,
such as a carving of a bear crawling out from under
the couch or a squirrel skirting along the edge of the
climbing structure. You can see a video of the artist
at work here.
The Results
Over the next two weeks, the wood was treated with
Anchor Seal and wrapped in plastic to reduce checking
and cracking. The most difficult part of this process
was keeping kids off the new chair and logs while the
sealant dried. Three new deodar cedar (Cedrus deoda-
ra) trees were planted behind the carvings along the
fence to provide the privacy screening neighbors had
enjoyed from the Italian stone pine. City staff worked
with the Menlo Park Historical Association to mark the
rings on a cross section of the trunk to signify inter-
esting dates in the City's past.
This new feature in Fremont Park is now one of the
most popular destinations in the downtown area
and has become a focal point for City events. In
early December, the City and Menlo Park Chamber of
Santa tries out the new chair carved from the base of the Italian stone pine trunk.
Commerce hosted the Holiday Tree Lighting Event in
Fremont Park. Before the holiday lights were illuminat-
ed on a nearby tree, Santa Claus sat in the chair for
photos with kids and read them stories.
The City of Menlo Park is home to many innovative
public works programs, including effective transpor-
tation systems, innovative maintenance, and cut-
ting-edge infrastructure. The Fremont stone pine story
is unique because of the level and passion of resident
involvement with regard to removing and honoring a
significant piece of the community. Bonner says, "This
was just a great example of the community coming
together to work on a creative way to make the best
of an unfortunate situation. We've gotten a wealth of
great feedback."
This model of listening to concerns, making clear deci-
sions, and brainstorming with the public for a solution
turned a potentially negative event into a long-term,
positive gain. Every city has trees that require remov-
al, and what was done in Fremont Park can be replicat-
ed, regardless of budget constraints, with the proper
resident involvement and community partnerships.
