OAKLAND — The Oakland Planning Commission approved a plan by Mountain View Cemetery leaders to expand, which means the cemetery will gain 6,500 plots but lose nearly 100 mature coastal live oak trees before replanting.

The 3-2 approval on Nov. 15 was a contentious one, with commissioner Tom Limon making the motion to approve it. Vice Chair Jahmese Myres wanted to delay approval until an issue with a grading violation at the cemetery was resolved.

“We are pleased that the Planning Commission approved the project,” said cemetery General Manager and CEO Jeff Lindeman. “A significant amount of collaboration went into the project design and the planning commission was able to appreciate that all plans involve compromise and that this would benefit the community.”

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Mountain View Cemetery, at the end of Piedmont Avenue, is a historic cemetery dating to 1863. Its original landscape concept was designed by the renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, who helped to design New York City’s Central Park, and is considered one of the most beloved private open spaces in the city with joggers, bicyclists and dog walkers enjoying rolling hillside paths and expanses of lawn.

About a dozen cemetery neighbors showed up to voice their opinions on several aspects of the plan. Most were against the cemetery using redwood trees during its replanting phase as they were worried that when the trees mature they would block sweeping bay views.

Before the meeting, architects of new design scrapped planting redwood trees as a response to the community complaints.

Neighbor Gloria Yu said the landscaping in the design of the new cemetery areas should not be excessive and should preserve pristine views.

“I would like to see them put in trees that are native and not blocking our views,” she said.

Judy Schwartz, also a neighbor of the cemetery, said she wanted to see the plans delayed until the issue of unpermitted grading, and what she believes is the removal of some trees, is resolved by the city.

The city received a complaint earlier this year of unauthorized grading activities and issued a violation. The cemetery contested the violation and it has yet to be heard by a governing body. Lindeman told the commission that the displacement of dirt is a natural part of the cemetery business and that there was no unauthorized grading being done.

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The approval came with several conditions including that cemetery leaders not plant redwoods, that they replant the area within a year of grading, and that if a new tree dies within five years, they replace it.

According to the city’s final environmental impact report, 92 coastal live oaks will be removed, 32 non-oak protected trees will be removed and 32 non-protected trees will be removed. Some of the new oaks will come from 60-inch nursery boxes, which are considered larger new trees.

About 315 new trees will be planted in the three sections, including at least 92 new coastal live oaks, during construction. That number of new trees is beyond what the city requires for the removal of protected oaks and other trees.

The decision can be appealed to the City Council within 10 days of the Nov. 15 Planning Commission meeting.