During the road work, a row of mature shade trees and a large area of shrubbery and landscaping were destroyed. To date, the area has not replanted. While pedestrians feel safer with the traffic signal, a previously pleasant walk is now hot and unpleasant. The sun glares off the roofs of cars in the parking lot (previously screened by shrubbery). There is nothing but dirt and gravel on the ground. There is no shade. This is called an urban heat island. At the April 26th meeting, Ted Axe said the Claremont will replant the area sometime this summer. However, there will be a large entrance monument, and saplings rather than mature speciments.

Plants and trees are aesthetically pleasing. More importantly, they reduce pollution, lower the temperature in the summer, and emit oxygen. Each mature shade tree gave enough oxygen for a family of four.* At this point, we do not know how many trees or how much landscaping KSL intends to remove in its next expansion.

*Information on trees and urban heat islands from The San Francisco Examiner, East Bay Edition, Thurs. 4/13/00.