Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Urban Forestry topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Hillside Federation urges council to protect street trees during sidewalk repair program
Summary
At Monday's public hearing the Hillside and Canyon Federation warned that sidewalk repair work could lead to removal of large trees unless the city adopts preservation guidelines; the federation asked for a report on protective measures and replacement-cost accounting.
A resident preservation group told the Los Angeles City Council on May 21 that the city's large-scale sidewalk repair and replacement program needs binding guidelines to protect mature street trees that adjoin sidewalks.
Alec Mann, representing the Hillside and Canyon Federation, said the federation dropped a written statement at council offices and urged the council to require measures to avoid cutting substantial trees during sidewalk work. Mann told the council that large trees provide measurable energy and air-quality benefits, reduce particulate matter and provide property-value and shade benefits that would take decades to replace. He cited a 1999 figure the federation had compiled that the city paid about $2 million in trip-and-fall settlements then but noted the city forest's replacement value is far higher.
Mann asked specifically for the city to produce a plan or report showing how to carry out the sidewalk program without widespread removal of larger trees, to require preservation first and removal only where unavoidable, and to include a cost estimate for retention measures.
Why it matters: Council members and residents said they want sidewalks repaired but worry that insufficient protections will lead to loss of large trees that are costly and time-consuming to replace and that provide heat-reduction and air-quality benefits.
Council response and follow-up: Chair of the ad hoc committee on the budget, Alex Feuer, noted the committee had recommended an increase in funding for sidewalk repair. Council members asked staff to bring reports back — including a suggestion from council staff that the Bureau of Street Services be asked to report on how an integrated preservation-preservation program could be implemented and what it would cost.
Ending: The public comment closed after two speakers on the topic. Councilmembers asked staff to include protective measures in the planning and to provide the requested report back to the council or appropriate committee.
