City Council upholds denial of appeals; Palm Avenue infrastructure project to proceed with 13 tree removals

The Whittier City Council on May 13 upheld the Parks and Recreation Commission’s denial of appeals against removing 13 Aleppo pines as part of the Palm Avenue infrastructure improvement project, allowing construction work adjacent to those trees to proceed.

The decision matters because the project—awarded last year and described by staff as a roughly one‑mile reconstruction to replace water and sewer mains, concrete pavement, curb, gutter and sidewalks—has been paused where it conflicts with mature parkway trees. City staff and a contracted tree risk assessor told the council that root pruning and reconstruction next to the trees would likely destabilize several large specimens.

City staff described the project timeline and the current hold on work near the flagged trees. “Right now today, the project is on hold,” David Montgomery Scott told the council as he summarized the technical findings and the city’s procedural steps. Scott said a contracted, tree‑risk–assessment‑qualified arborist inspected 11 trees and the city arborist concurred and identified three additional trees of concern. The arborists rated those trees’ likelihood of structural failure as moderate to high if the work proceeds without removal or other limiting measures. Scott summarized the arborists’ assessment of target zones: “Pedestrians are indicated to be on the street infrequently; cars frequently; homes are a constant.”

Residents…