The Final Insult - Gil Moore 'Throws Shade' To Elk Grove Neighborhood, Plants Palm Trees



December 11, 2015 |

Call it a case of botanical snobbery, or maybe Gil Moore just rubbing salt in the wound of nearby homeowners. Whatever the case, it was with a fair amount of astonishment that the owner of  the "one of its kind in California" gas station (or was it the the "best thing since sliced bread"), malt liquor stop and fast food joint has gone forward with plans to plant palm trees all around his soon-to-open establishment in Elk Grove.

Palm Trees, which are not native to California, much less Northern California, seems to be a tacky choice of trees to surround this establishment. Palm trees have not, to our knowledge, been used in any public landscaping in the last 25 years or so in Elk Grove.

Not only are palm trees inconsistent with the character of nearby businesses and neighborhoods, they can actually have negative effects at a place like Moore's Sheldon Centre. The biggest negative is that palm trees do nothing to mitigate heat from concrete and asphalt, and there is about 5-acres at this site. So much for being a good neighbor to the families on Koto Drive. 

According to the story titled "The Problem With Palm Trees" posted on the website CityLab,  "A recent study of three different tree groves in Tel Aviv, for example, showed that palms provide the least amount of shade and needed the most water, up to 1,000 liters per day. Ficus and Rosewood trees, meanwhile, have much lower water needs and managed to cool the surrounding area by seven degrees and three degrees, respectively. The palms chilled the air less than one degree."

Instead of planting a beautiful native hardwood such as a Valley Oak that could have enhanced the project, mitigated the heat that will be generated from the pavement, Moore selected what we view as a totally inappropriate tree for his malt liquor joint. 

It could have been worse - a forest of stinky semen trees like those that front the exclusive gated community just east of Moore's on Sheldon Road could have been planted. Nonetheless, maybe this is what Moore meant when he said this fast food joint, beer store and gas station would be "one of its kind in California."

It doesn't look like this artistic rendering at GilMooreOil.com displays palm trees.





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19 comments

Hbear88 said...

I saw the trees on my commute to work this morning and thought it was an odd choice. They stick out like a sore thumb.

Anonymous said...

In N Out Burger and Kelly's Car Wash have a couple of Palm trees.

Anonymous said...

I drove by the last night and all the lights were on. Horrible! I feel so badly for the residents on Koto Drive.

Warren Buffett said...

His campaign contributions are long deposited and he got what he wanted--a total rewrite of the sign ordinance at taxpayer's expense, a freeway billboard that pales in comparison to only the plastic elk sign, and a rezone that wiped out the chance for high density housing that was supposed to be built on the site. But give the man credit-this small time oil man-wannabe developer boasted in public forums and spilled the beans on how greasing the skids worked. Aloha!

Anonymous said...

I'm assuming this passed Planning and City Councils approval. How this represents Elk Grove is beyond me. Now that means the Elk on the billboards will have to be replaced with a hawaiian hula dancer which will surely make this a Destination City. A trip to Hawaii without even leaving home and a fill up at Arco for a free Hawaii Bobble Head for the dashboard. How can it get any better?

Palm trees don't provide noise abatement from the bordering neighborhood plus partially hide the facility. So much for being a good neighbor to the families on Koda Court.

Now the good news about this...it put a smile on my face this morning, waking up as I do many mornings wondering what great idea our city has rubber stamped next. Just throw a sandy beach in the parking lot and I'm a happy customer. The he*@ with Koda Court.


Doc Bricker said...

I always get a thrill
And I guess I always will
When my journey nears its end
And my destination is just around the bend

"The lights of home look good to me
When I return from far across the sea
They glow so bright to guide me through the night
Back to the ones who care, waiting for me there

I've been around
But never found
In rainy London town
Or sunny Rome
A sight that's greater than the lights of home"

Don Ho

Anonymous said...

Sarah Johnson is screaming in heaven!

Jughead Jones said...

Thanks Doc Bricker - I get it now. This whole time Gil Moore has been setting the stage for this little bit of Hawaii in Elk Grove. You know Moore wearing his Hawaiian shirts at council meetings, his family running the Big Kahuna yogurt shop, and now for the cherry on the top of a malted, palm trees.

Do you think Councilman Detrick will let us use his private lake that he bragged about being a public amenity in Elk Grove so we can have a real, honest to goodness luau? As long as we can get some of Gil Moore's yummy yogurt for malts, count me in!

Proud to be led said...

All this hoopla over a few trees? Come on! Our city leaders have rightfully chosen the path of least regulation. Unless state law requires you to do it, Elk Grove is not going to impose any stricter regulations on development. Show me where state law mandates certain trees be planted, or even put in trash cans in the parking lot? So the way I see it, these palm trees are a bonus--icing on the cake if you will. Score one for economic development and jobs!

Anonymous said...

Yea, score one for the MAYOR and the Mentor! What the heck do we taxpayers know about jobs and economic development?

Lynn said...

I just want the 5 men to answer me this: If this proposed and now done project was going to be against your fence would you have supported it? I would not have....but what the heck we have a very "flexible" general plan that provides no certainty to home owners and just much promise for developers to continue to donate to city council elections to get their people in place; and their projects done to the detriment of residents. I should put a disclaimer here; As the council continually reminds me I do not speak for others and others do not agree with me.
I know the city council members read this site...wouldn't answer this from the dais....I am assured they won't answer it here...or maybe they will and do what they do to defend themselves; tell me how wrong I am.

Checked with the City of Elk Grove said...

I checked with the City of Elk Grove to see if this project was built as originally approved by the City of Elk Grove and this was the response.

Planning actually made a site visit this morning on another issue. We also received a complaint last week that the site was “ugly” and could not have been built as approved. We researched then and checked today and the site, including landscaping is being constructed as designed and approved so far. This is the same design that was reviewed at multiple Planning Commission meetings and ultimately approved by the Planning Commission where public testimony was received.

Elk Grove News said...

Checked with the City of Elk Grove,

Thank your for your comment and participation. Prior to publication one of EGN's crack reader/researchers provided information about the Sheldon Centre. The link is posted below.

As noted in the opening paragraph of this posting, Moore "has gone forward with plans to plant palm trees."

We hopes this clarifies matters.

See page 12

http://www.elkgrovecity.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_109585/File/cityclerk/citycouncil/2014/attachments/01-22-14_9.1.pdf

Anonymous said...

'Throws Shade', couldn't have said it better myself. That's exactly what he did to that neighborhood and with the cities blessings.

Anonymous said...

Elk Grove is well on its way to become Stockton north, a steaming dumpster fire of a tacky hick valley suburb.

Anonymous said...

I wonder how much the houses on Koto Drive dropped in value.

Just think they don't have to pay to illuminate their backyards, and can listen to people blasting their car stereos, peeling out of the parking lot, screaming on the top of their lungs, fights, etc.

It will be just like living off Hammer Lane in Stockton.

Anonymous said...

what's the big deal? i guess elk grove would rather see 99 cent store or another walmart open up.

Anonymous said...

@Anon 22:49 ~ I'm not sure the palm trees are such a big deal by themselves. I for one don't like how this property was REZONED from High Density Residential to Commercial. The fuel pumps and McDonald's drive up squawk box is VERY close to the homes on Koto Drive. There's a reason why you don't see gas stations and/or fast food joints adjacent to each other. You won't find this anywhere. I'm not anti-gas station or even McDonald's but not directly next to residential property.

I recall councilman Detrick ran for office after opposing a Walmart on the vacant lot at Sheldon and Power Inn Rd. It wasn't a fit for the neighborhood which he lives across Sheldon. So you can't have a Walmart across a major road but you can have a gas station/fast food joint within a few feet of homes. Hypocrisy at it's best.

Benecya said...

Very nice flatbush zombies reference.

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