Gizmo will be creating a 90 foot custom bench out of a fallen tree in San Francisco’s Presidio. Photo by Joe Rosato Jr./NBC Bay Area
The Presidio’s Mother Tree
“On January 24th, the Tunnel Tops project team executed a crane pick of a fallen Monterey Cypress in the Presidio of San Francisco. This specific tree was of special interest due to its gargantuan proportions, it had long presented a challenge for removal due to its location. The tree was estimated to be 130 years old with a base diameter of nearly 6 feet and standing over 90 feet tall. It had fallen down a steep embankment in a historic residential district many years ago when the Presidio was still an active Army base. The Swinerton team worked with the various Presidio departments to coordinate the tree removal including tree preparation, crane access, road and trail closures, and trucking necessary to complete the operation. The tree was ultimately removed in two sections and weighed over 40,000 lbs.
This was part of a larger effort to salvage the Monterey cypress trees planted by the Army which are now reaching the end of their natural lives. The cypress logs are being sent to a mill in Marshall, CA where they will be rough sawn and returned to a warehouse located at the Presidio for curing. These logs will then be assembled into custom large-scale site furnishings including benches and tables.”
