Redondo Beach commission backs subcommittee, urges long-term urban-forest planning

Public Works Director Andy Wingate told the Redondo Beach Public Works & Sustainability Commission on September 25 that the City Council asked staff “to bring back an item by the end of the year discussing strategies and options to increase the city's tree canopy.”

The commission moved and approved a recommendation that staff pursue a strategic approach — including seeking funding for an urban forest master plan, exploring replacement requirements and incentives, and forming a commission subcommittee to provide detailed recommendations to the council. Commissioner Arata called the motion and the roll call showed unanimous support: Commissioner Simpson, Commissioner Bajaj, Commissioner Anderson, Commissioner Nafisi, Commissioner Bealey, Commissioner Sowell and Chair Arata all voted aye.

The recommendation follows a staff presentation that combined inventory data and national guidance. Public Works staff reported the city maintains an inventory of more than 11,300 city-owned trees and that Redondo Beach’s 2022 urban tree canopy was measured at about 8.3 percent — below common municipal targets of 15 to 25 percent. Staff said roughly 75 percent of the city’s land is private property, and that moving the needle on overall canopy requires more private‑property engagement. City Arborist Mark Garlock and Senior Management Analyst Rob Osborne joined the presentation to describe species diversity, age distribution and data limitations.

Why it matters: Commissioners and residents said canopy affects public comfort, heat-island severity and environmental goals. Several residents urged stronger protections for mature trees on private property, earlier coordination between planning and development review, and city-led planting programs.

Key details from staff and public comment - Inventory and canopy: Staff said the tree inventory shows 216 species and an age distribution skewed to older trees; the 2022 canopy figure (8.3 percent) is below the recommended municipal range of 15–25 percent. Staff cautioned that county and federal datasets may use differing methods and recommended a city-specific study to refine baseline metrics (Andy Wingate; Rob Osborne). - City control vs. private land: Staff repeatedly noted that about 75 percent of Redondo Beach land is privately owned, meaning private-property programs or incentives will be critical to increasing total canopy (Andy Wingate; Mark Garlock). - Current programs: The city plants about 100 trees per year, many of which are replacements rather than net additions. Staff said the existing tree protection ordinance applies to city-owned trees; earlier council action removed private-property regulation from the ordinance’s scope (Andy Wingate; Rob Osborne). - Public proposals: Citizens and local advocates urged multiple approaches — a long-term urban forest master plan, a shorter 5–10 year priority plan, and immediate “quick action” items such as expanding planting giveaways and clearer coordination between planning and building permit stages so trees are considered earlier (Mara Lang, Citizens for Redondo Trees; Laura Duke; Theresa Mitchell). - Species and design guidance: Staff and commenters discussed the limits of strictly native-species lists in creating canopy in a coastal city and suggested adopting species that produce larger canopies while balancing water use and maintenance needs (Mark Garlock; Theresa Mitchell).

Commission direction and formal action - Commission recommendation: By motion, the commission recommended that staff pursue funding opportunities for an urban forest master plan, consider replacement requirements and administrative review thresholds for tree removal, develop a tiered list of preferred/less-preferred species, and create a subcommittee to help shape priorities and outreach. The motion was made by Commissioner Bajaj and seconded by Commissioner Simpson and carried on a roll-call vote (ayes: Simpson, Bajaj, Anderson, Nafisi, Bealey, Sowell, Arata). - Timing: Staff will return to the City Council with recommendations; the strategic plan asked staff to report back by Nov. 1 (Andy Wingate). Commissioners discussed using the council presentation as the next major milestone; several commissioners asked to form a subcommittee to provide more detailed analysis and public engagement.

What was discussed but not decided - Private-property regulation: The commission heard repeated public interest in protecting trees on private property (front setbacks or heritage tree programs), but no regulatory change to private-property controls was enacted. Staff noted the prior city-council decision to exclude private-property regulation from the existing public-tree ordinance, and commissioners said any future ordinance must consider state housing law, development review practices, and enforceability. - Budget and funding: Staff described large, data-driven master plans as costly (tens of thousands of dollars) but helpful when seeking grant funding. The commission did not adopt a specific budget or select a consultant.

Quotes - Public Works Director Andy Wingate: “The city council, as part of their current strategic plan, asked for an item ... discussing strategies and options to increase the city's tree canopy.” - Citizens for Redondo Trees co-founder Mara Lang: “If we even remove [palms] from that list, we really only have about 9 trees per acre.” - Resident Laura Duke: “Trees are important to everything from climate change mitigation to upping home values, and the city needs an official and enforceable tree plan.”

Next steps and context The commission asked staff to include its recommendations in the report to the City Council and supported forming a subcommittee to produce more detailed recommendations and partner with community groups. Staff recommended beginning with improved data (a refined inventory and canopy assessment), short-term planting actions and public education while pursuing a longer-term urban forest management plan. The commission and speakers cited county and regional models, including the Los Angeles County community urban forest management plan and American Planning Association guidance, as references for possible approaches.

Ending note Commissioners and public advocates framed the work as a multi-year effort that will require a mix of city-owned investments, private-property incentives or regulations, public education and grant-seeking to measure and grow Redondo Beach’s tree canopy.