HUNTINGTON BEACH : Park Advocates Say Builder Cut Trees
A dispute erupted in the northwest part of the city on Thursday when the environmental organization Save Our Parks accused a developer of illegally cutting down live trees and destroying bird nests.
The developer, David D. Dahl, denied the charge.
At issue is a development site near the intersection of Ellis Avenue and Edwards Street. The site, once occupied by oil wells, is being prepared for a residential development to be called Central Park Estates. A city permit for the project restricts cutting down live trees, but Dahl said no mature, live trees have been axed.
“We’ve just been trimming trees, and we haven’t cut down any live trees except saplings, and we haven’t removed any occupied bird nests,” Dahl said.
Debbie Cook, spokeswoman for Save Our Parks, said workers for Dahl had “butchered” live, mature trees on the development site Thursday morning. Cook also accused the workers of destroying occupied bird nests.
Cook said she gave photographs made before Thursday of occupied bird nests in trees to an investigator from the state Fish and Game Department. Officials for the agency could not be reached for comment.
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