#23074101

Requesting an urgent safety inspection and pruning/maintenance by a City Arborist for the mature street tree (approx. 50 ft Populus / Cottonwood, with a distinct, concerning lean) located in the parking strip directly in front of 1734 Union St. There are several utility lines (telephone, power, cable--unsure which) that pass directly alongside and--in places--through the lower foliage. Branches are actively touching and resting against live utility lines, creating an immediate friction, fire, and power outage hazard during high winds. Limb Drop & El Niño Storm Hazard: This tree regularly drops large, heavy limbs during windy conditions. With severe El Niño winter storms approaching, the overhanging limbs pose a significant structural threat to the adjacent home, roof, sidewalk, driveway, and street parking area. Weight reduction, deadwooding, and crown thinning are urgently needed before winter rains hit. Conducting this maintenance prior to the start of the coming storms will also help maintain the health of the nearby storm drain, which is already prone to flooding. Severe Pest Infestation / Public Right-of-Way Damage: The canopy is heavily infested with aphids, producing an extreme amount of honeydew that is blanketing the sidewalk, public parking strip, and nearby property in a thick, sticky residue. The honeydew output this year is unprecedented, at least doubling the output from the last several years. The front walk is so coated and sticky (which, in turn, "seals" soles and makes them terribly sticky against tile floors) it is almost unusable, and my car in the driveway becomes speckled in sticky honeydew within 12h of taking it through the carwash; I worry about permanent, expensive damage to the paint on both the walkway and my car. Attached Photos: Photos showing the tree height, proximity to the residence, utility line contact points, parking strip location, and active sooty mold growth. The severe lean toward the house is also visible, which deeply concerns me as well.