ANAHEIM : Battle of Broadway Trees Being Fought

Ever hear of a group of residents who wanted traffic to be clogged in their neighborhood, or folks who wanted the city to remove traffic lights to make the traffic flow a little more unbearable?

That’s the thinking of a small group of residents on historic Broadway in Anaheim. They are trying nearly anything to preserve the traditional flavor of their neighborhood.

Broadway and Area Residents was formed after the city cut down 70-year-old oak and ash trees on the north side of the thoroughfare. The group, now 85 members strong, is committed to preserving the south side’s traditional beauty.

The city has proposed widening the street to unclog traffic by razing the trees on the south side. But the residents hope that a narrower street--even one without existing traffic signals--eventually would send frustrated drivers elsewhere.

They succeeded in persuading the City Council to postpone the street-improvement project until differences and misunderstandings about why the trees on the north side were felled could be ironed out.

Now, accord on the fate of the south side is said to be near. On Monday, the group and city officials met for nearly three hours, discussing options that they hope to transform into a livable solution by next week.

The options include felling the trees and planting smaller ones.

But some in the group are not ready to accept felling the trees at any cost. Many are older residents who are emotionally attached to the trees, and who say they will not live long enough to see the young trees reach full size.