California lawmakers are bulldozing ahead with a costly plan to demolish the East Annex, block public access to the West Steps, and destroy Capitol Park.
Now is not the time to burden taxpayers with a $1.4 billion debt for the next 30 years. It’s time to increase public safety and rehabilitate the historic East Annex, not demolish and replace it.
"Very soon, state legislators, along with Governor Newsom, will move from their offices in the east annex building of the Capitol to make way for a new glass skinned executive building."
"... a new construction plan seeks to relocate and-or remove some of those special trees, and demolish the East Capitol Annex Building. Urban Ecologist Paula Peper explains that puts hundreds of California’s 'historic trees' in danger."
“Relocation practices are not following national guidelines, and with that, we assume that at least 49 of the palm trees that line — I mean, they’ve been planted since 1898 to 1903 — and at least 49 of those will probably not be successful in the transplanting process."
Save Our Capitol! is working to preserve the historic Capitol and its surrounding Park, including hundreds of irreplaceable trees. Alternatives exist to make the Annex safe without spending $1.4 billion to excavate the West Steps, build a new parking garage, and demolish-and-rebuild the Annex, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.