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Laguna Beach officials defend emergency removal of nine promenade trees after arborists warn of root failure
Summary
City manager and staff told the council two arborist reports and insurer warnings left no safe option but to remove nine eucalyptus trees on Lower Forest Avenue; residents reacted with anger and grief while some urged trust in staff’s safety assessment and praised plans to plant more, healthier trees.
Laguna Beach city leaders on Monday defended the emergency removal of nine mature eucalyptus trees along the Lower Forest Avenue promenade, saying two independent arborist reports and an insurer's assessment showed the trees posed an imminent safety and financial risk.
City Manager Dave Kiff told the council and a crowded chamber that a eucalyptus tree fell overnight on March 22, prompting an accelerated inspection. A Dudek arborist report and a second, level‑2 review found buried root collars, girdling root barriers and inadequate root structure on multiple trees. “When the second arborist confirmed the recommendation for removal,” Kiff said, “our options were bad — we either act to remove or shut down the entire site.”
City Attorney Megan explained the insurance stakes: the city's joint insurance pool indicated that with evidence of a known dangerous condition insurers could exclude related claims,…
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