If you’ve strolled along Bridgeway in downtown Sausalito recently, you may have noticed a refreshed and tidier streetscape, with rows of new trees lining the sidewalks. The change is the result of the City’s recently completed Bridgeway Callery Pear Tree Removal and Replacement Project, intended to make this downtown corridor safer and more functional, as well as to create a more orderly and visually appealing look and support the long-term health of the downtown tree canopy.

Planning for this project began as a collaboration between the City and Sausalito Beautiful in summer 2025, and implementation took just over a month to complete. The work covered the stretch of Bridgeway between Princess and Anchor streets, starting on Monday, January 5, and wrapping up with a final walk on Monday, February 9, 2026. Scheduling from early January through February was intended to help minimize interruptions during peak tourist and holiday periods, though work temporarily affected pedestrian access and nearby businesses. The City hired Forster & Kroeger Landscape Maintenance for the work, led by Raul Garcia and their team. The tree removal decision was guided by Bartlett’s recommendations from the 2018 Downtown Tree Inventory and Management Plan, which identified several of the existing Callery pear trees as diseased or unsafe due to canopy dieback, falling branches, buried root collars, and structural cracks.

Forster & Kroeger Landscape Maintenance performed tree removal in January 2026.

Careful, surgical removal of the trees and thoughtful replanting were key goals and approaches. The project involved removing eleven diseased Callery Pears and two Chinese Pistache trees that had grown to obstruct traffic signals, along with full stump grinding to prepare the sites for new planting, with the long-term health of the trees at the forefront. In total, twelve new Chinese Pistache trees were planted, adding one additional tree in a location where a tree had previously been removed and not replaced. The work also required careful pre-planning and coordination around underground utilities serving downtown businesses, as well as meticulous installation of root barriers and percolation pipes to help the new trees thrive for decades.

Forster & Kroeger crew preparing and planting under City Park Supervisor oversight.

Soil amendments were prepared using City Park Supervisor Oscar Lucario's custom recipe, blending 85% native soil from the Sausalito Preserve, 10% biochar activated with organic compost, 4% oyster shell for slow-release calcium, and 1% Opuntia Ficus Indica cactus to enhance water retention during establishment. Oscar, a landscape expert, oversaw the work on-site, guaranteeing precision in planting, soil preparation, and irrigation.  

Another important element of the project process was selecting the right tree species through dialogue between Sausalito Beautiful and the City with the focus on long-term growth, adaptability, and streetscape continuity. On the east side of Bridgeway and Princess streets, Chinese Pistache trees had already been planted and proven successful for their resilience to high winds and traffic, lower water needs, and strong response to pruning. The Chinese Pistache also minimizes interference with sidewalks and underground infrastructure, making it both practical and well-suited to the downtown environment. These characteristics, combined with consistency, harmony, and visual cohesion with the existing tree canopies, made the Chinese Pistache a logical choice for aesthetic appeal and durability.

With a generous donation from Sausalito Beautiful, the City was able to stretch the CIP funds for this fiscal year to likewise include installation of seventeen custom-made grates to protect the young trees and support their growth. Five of the new grates completed an earlier planting project. Sausalito Beautiful dedicated a tremendous amount of time and expertise to this project, working closely with the City and the contractors on the grates, visited the site to establish quantities, locations, and safety features, and checked in daily to observe progress. Their hands-on involvement and partnership were invaluable to the project’s success.

The grates were commissioned by Sausalito Beautiful to Julian and Kathleen Eusebio of Katarina Total Yardscape and fabricated by Julian, featuring a flexible configuration. They consist of scored and detachable, breakaway concentric square-framed rings that expand outward and are perforated, allowing gradual adjustment as the trees grow and their trunks enlarge. The grates have a natural copper-looking finish without paint or artificial coatings, maintaining an authentic appearance over time and developing a slight patina with age. A key feature of the custom grates is their ability to adjust to varied elevations at each corner, accommodating the uneven sidewalk surfaces. Each grate incorporates four adjustable corner screws for precise leveling, ensuring it sits flush underfoot and in sight.

This project reflects a successful partnership between the City, funding and managing tree removal, replanting, site preparation and grate installation and Sausalito Beautiful, sponsoring and coordinating fabrication of custom grates. City staff member Sara Khorshidifard managed the project, and Parks Supervisor Oscar Lucario inspected and oversaw key aspects of soil preparation, planting, root barrier placement, and the irrigation system. The two contractor teams, Forster & Kroeger Landscape Maintenance and Katarina Total Yardscape, carefully coordinated the work between tree removal, preparation, replanting, and grate placement, as well as around underground utilities and sidewalk logistics, without disrupting businesses or pedestrians. The locally fabricated grates are designed to weather naturally, support tree health and growth, and fit uneven sidewalk elevations using four adjustable corner screws. Thanks to this partnership and careful execution, Bridgeway and Princess streets and their sidewalks are now tidier, healthier, and ready to support the new trees.

Farewell Callery Pears

We appreciate the beauty of trees, but the removed Callery Pears that lined Bridgeway had become safety concerns. The 2018 Bartlett report documented several trees with health and structural issues, falling branches, canopy dieback, buried root collars, and decay. To mitigate risks, and as part of the City’s 2026 CIP (Capital Improvement Program) Street Tree Replacement and Installation, the project removed eleven diseased Callery Pears and two Chinese Pistache trees that were blocking traffic lights and obstructing visibility at the intersection. In place of the eleven removed trees, plus one additional tree further north, the project replanted those areas with twelve new Chinese Pistache, selected for their long-term adaptability and ability to thrive in the urban streetscape.