Tree removal at West Oakland BART station sparks community concern
West Oakland BART developers address red tagged trees
Residents are pushing back against the removal of dozens of healthy trees slated for the "Mandela Station Project" development.
OAKLAND, Calif. - Construction is slated to begin soon at the West Oakland BART station, but plans to remove dozens of trees for a new housing development are causing alarm among nearby residents.
The project, known as the Mandela Station Project, will bring more housing to the area.
Red tags on trees alarm neighbors
The backstory:
Red notices dated April 3 were posted on the trees this past Saturday, coincidentally during an Earth Day event on 7th Street. The timing and the tags have left many residents with questions regarding who is responsible.
Ratka Mira Popovic, a West Oakland resident, is leading a group of volunteers calling the number listed on the fliers in an effort to stop the removal.
"I’m not opposed to this project at all, I just think that the hardscaping and the greenscaping could have been better designed to utilize the healthy trees that are actually on site," Popovic said.
The Mandela Station Project, approved by the city in 2020, is a major development expected to bring more than 760 housing units—including 240 affordable units—and 350,000 square feet of office and retail space to the area.
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More trees will be planted, developer says
What they're saying:
Lead developer Alan Dones defended the project, stating that the development is addressing local issues like homelessness and will ultimately result in more trees being planted than are currently on the site. Dones added that the project has been shaped by feedback from more than 50 community meetings and is reflective of what the developers have heard from the public.
In addition to the loss of trees, the project has faced criticism following reports that nearly 400 parking spaces will be eliminated during construction, potentially impacting East Bay riders who commute to San Francisco.
Councilmember Carroll Fife addressed district concerns on Instagram and is recommending another community meeting between the developers and the public. Some residents, like a neighbor named Archer, have called for an environmental impact statement, citing West Oakland's status as a "heat dome" with a higher heat index than other neighborhoods.
What's next:
The trees are expected to be removed within the next six weeks, with major construction beginning in early summer. Requests for comment from the city were not immediately responded to.