Oakland Hills country club plans to remove 175 redwood trees amid pushback from neighbors

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- There's a controversy brewing in the Oakland Hills over the removal of 175 coastal redwood trees on property owned by a private golf course.

More than 800 people have signed a petition hoping to save them.

"They're our skyline. They're a beautiful part of Oakland." Oakland Hills homeowner Ana Vizzo says she was devastated when she got a letter from the city over plans to permit the removal of 175 coastal redwoods from land owned by Sequoyah Country Club. Clusters of the trees form islands of shade across the golf course -- many of them have tags hanging from them, designating them as ones that would be cut down.

"This is our backyard. This is our home, so want to save as many trees as possible," she said.

The general manager and president issued a statement saying: "Sequoyah Country Club is embarking on a golf course renovation that is largely being driven by a water conservation proposal for the property." They said they are working with the city to "collaborate on a proposal that prioritizes environmental benefits, safety and accessibility."

They said their plans include preserving half the redwoods and replacing the ones that are removed with native oak trees. They're also removing hazardous eucalyptus trees.

But neighbors launched a petition against the tree removal with over 800 signatures.

"Me, my son, my 4-year-old boy are going door to door, posting on Nextdoor, posting on Oakland subreddit that everyone started writing the city objecting to these trees being cut down," Vizzo said.

Oakland city councilmember Ken Houston is trying to mediate a compromise. "There's two things here we have to address -- the homeowner, the views, the trees -- and, at the same time, a business. That's their personal property that's their private property right? So how do we get that fine line on making it happen. It's called negotiating," he said.

The city of Oakland's public comment period runs through Thursday. A decision to cut or not to cut is expected on Friday.

If you're on the ABC7 News app, click here to watch live