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Whittier council extends suspension of Parkway Tree Manual over vocal public opposition
Summary
After hours of public comment and council questions about liability and CEQA, the Whittier City Council on March 24 approved ordinance 31‑76 to extend the temporary suspension of the Parkway Tree Manual through Jan. 1, 2028, in a 4‑1 vote. Critics said the suspension removes residents’ legal protections and risks further litigation.
The Whittier City Council voted to extend the temporary suspension of the city’s Parkway Tree Manual on second reading, adopting ordinance 31‑76 and finding the action exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act through Jan. 1, 2028.
The decision came after multiple public commenters urged the council to reject the ordinance, saying the suspension would eliminate the primary legal avenue residents have to question tree removals. “No action that you take that strips the environmental protection of anything is exempt from CEQA,” said Helen Raider, executive director of the Conservancy, urging the council to decline the second reading. Mary Gorman Sullins, president of the Whittier Conservancy, called the…
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