Dozens of community members mobilize again to save trees

They came by bike, on foot and in cars. But they all came for the same reason: to protest the Coronado City Council’s decision to cut down five mature trees in the corner of Spreckels Park near the Coronado Public Library as part of the $9.72 million Winn Hall expansion.

The protest took place at 10 a.m. on Sunday, September 1, about a week after the city council voted 3-2 for Option 4, the largest expansion plan for Winn Hall. Protesters brought homemade signs and posters that read “Save the Park!” and “What Would the Lorax Do?” and decorated the large trees slated for removal. Among them were a 51-year-old cajeput/melaleuca tree, a 51-year-old coral evergreen, an 80- to 100-year-old Canary Island pine, and two New Zealand Christmas trees (one about 80 to 100 years old and the other about 51 years old).

“Why, just why?” asked Heather Barnett, a city resident, at the protest. “There are other places to put people. We can’t keep destroying the little parks we have left. That’s the beauty of this place.”

According to Christine Mott, a spokeswoman for the Coronado Trees group, the city council’s decision to significantly expand Winn Hall will destroy a significant portion of the mature tree canopy. It also deviates from the original intent of Winn Hall and Spreckels Park itself.

“These mature trees and green space are priceless treasures that should be honored as part of Coronado’s history,” she wrote in an email. “They provide beauty, shade and a range of environmental benefits, including cooling the surrounding sidewalk, asphalt and indoor temperatures, lowering utility bills, capturing carbon, reducing noise and air pollution, absorbing stormwater and stabilizing soil.”

Local artist Christie Curran, who participated in the protest, agrees: it’s important to preserve trees for their shade and beauty. She doesn’t think they should be sacrificed for another air-conditioned indoor space.

Trees also provide critical habitat for nesting birds and other wildlife, according to Emily Jones, a Coronado resident and wildlife biologist. That includes large birds like the great blue heron, osprey, red-tailed hawk and great horned owl. These birds need large, mature trees because their nests are so large, sometimes up to four feet, Jones said.

“Replanting young trees is a good idea, but they won’t support this specific type of wildlife,” she said.

For some protesters, it’s a bit of déjà vu. About a year ago, community members rallied to save five more trees on the opposite end of the property after bowlers discovered the roots could damage their bocce ball court. In February 2024, the city council withdrew its plan to remove the trees after public dissent and a lawsuit, in which Mott was a plaintiff.

But today, supporters of the Winn Hall expansion say improvements are needed to bring the library into the 21st century and transform it into a cultural hub for the community. Library director Shaun Briley said at a December meeting that libraries are no longer just lending books but have become “essential social and learning hubs.” The Winn Hall hosts hundreds of free community events each year, including literary readings, concerts and more.

The plan calls for increasing capacity from 135 to 208 seats and will include a foyer and an optional patio that will allow for outdoor performances. Proponents of the plan say 200 seats is the minimum required for the programs the library wants to host, including attracting prominent book authors, artists and speakers. The other three options in the plan offered fewer than 200 seats.

At the Aug. 24 city council meeting, Carl Luna, president of the Friends of the Coronado Library, urged the council to “think big” and build a cultural facility that would put Coronado on the map.

“Right now, we’re doing well culturally,” Luna said. “But if you build it, they will come.”

But not everyone agrees that going big is the best solution for the city. Councilman Casey Tanaka, who voted against the expansion with Mike Donovan, questioned that compromise at Sunday’s rally.

“A lot of times, tough decisions come down to balance,” Tanaka said at the rally. “I think we all agree that Winn Hall needs to be modernized and expanded, but I said I don’t think it’s the right place for a 200-seat theater, simply because of my own parking concerns. And the bigger Winn Hall gets, the more it comes at the expense of that park, and of course it’s more dramatic with the loss of those trees.”

Tanaka said the council rejected a similar expansion proposal for Winn Hall in 2021 because there was no way to work around the trees.

“But that was the sacrifice the majority was willing to make this time,” Tanaka said.

While supporters of the project say new trees can and should be planted, Mott says many residents will not be able to enjoy these new trees in their lifetime.

“The science shows that a young tree can’t just replace a new tree. It’s going to take years and years for the new trees to reproduce the biomass,” Mott said. “You can go ahead and plant as many new trees as you want. We’ll all be dead before they get to the size of these trees.”