‘Heritage’ trees would be protected under new ordinance
by Garth Meyer
The Redondo Beach City Council passed a motion Tuesday night directing the parks and planning commissions to study adoption of a tree ordinance, which the city does not have.
“My priority is to try to find a way to save some of these larger trees,” said Mayor Bill Brand. “I have no complaints about our current staff,” he added.
Brand said he’d like the ordinance to protect “heritage trees.” Last March, Brand led an effort to save “Freddie the Ficus,” a large, old tree on Pacific Coast Highway, just over the Redondo border, in Torrance.
Heritage Trees are defined by traits such as size, connection to a historical event, and rarity.
The city issues four-year contracts for trimming trees in public rights of way. As a result, most trees on city property are trimmed once every four years, with some every two years.
“Tree removal is a last resort,” Public Works senior analyst Rob Osborne said.
Reasons to take out a tree include roots damaging sidewalks, and underground pipes, and safety issues presented by a dead or dying tree.
Osborne told the council the city planted 102 trees during the last fiscal year, while removing “fewer than 15.”
Osborne said Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach allow residents to trim right-of-way trees, but he prefers that responsibility be left to public works.
“This should be tough to do, to take out a big tree. It should be difficult,” Councilman Todd Loewenstein said while sharing a picture of the Vons parking lot on Beryl Street. The large trees along the edge of the lot are slated to be taken out.
“You end up with saplings and the whole town loses its character,” Brand said.
Public Works Director Ted Semann explained that the trees outside the Vons are a hazard and replacement trees will be much larger than saplings.
“We’re gonna lean more toward saving these trees,” Brand said, while agreeing safety takes precedence.
“We want to see our canopy grow throughout the city,” Councilman Christian Horvath said. “If we’re gonna remove a tree, (its replacement) should be a minimum 48-inch box.”
“What problem are we trying to solve?” Councilwoman Laura Emdee asked. “I think staff is doing a great job. Whenever we’ve had a problem (in my district), our guys have been there right away. People have wanted trees removed and the city wouldn’t let them.”
“We should at least have guidelines, if not an ordinance,” Brand said.
Councilman Nils Nehrenheim made the motion for the parks and planning commissions to further study the issue, with a second from councilman Zein Obaji.
Loewenstein is scheduled to meet Monday with Public Works to discuss saving the Vons shopping center trees. ER