Lomita : Street Work Threatens Trees

City Council members agreed to preserve as many trees as possible during a street repair project after more than a dozen residents asked them not to remove the large pines lining Regent Street in their neighborhood.

Phil Wickoff, public works coordinator, said that two blocks of Regent south of 262nd Street need major repairs, partly because of tree roots extending from several 50- to 75-year-old pines.

Full reconstruction with curbs and gutters could necessitate removal of many trees, he said. A modified plan calls for less reconstruction and most of the trees could be preserved.

A year ago, all of the trees were removed in a similar project on Monte Vista Avenue. Many Regent residents said they did not want their neighborhood to suffer the same fate.

City Administrator Walker Ritter will present a report in late autumn detailing exact construction and removal plans.