NEWPORT BEACH : New Holiday Decor Gets Mixed Reviews
This year’s holiday centerpiece at Fashion Island is drawing raves from local environmentalists and anger from some merchants in what is shaping up as a battle between tradition and conservation.
The decade-old ritual of erecting a towering, 100-foot-tall evergreen Christmas tree was scrapped this year in favor of an environmentally sensitive array of plants and trees that will be replanted when the display is dismantled.
Called “Winter Wilderness,” the arrangement was the idea of mall managers who wanted to appease environmentalists’ complaints about killing a tree while retaining an outdoor holiday scene.
“This year, we thought we’d do something environmental,” said Susie Plummer, assistant manager of sales marketing for the mall.
The floor-covering display is filled with three-story pine trees and potted red azaleas. The flora and foliage will be replanted in parks and open spaces around the mall when the display is taken down after the first of the year, Plummer said.
Additionally, there is a field of white cyclamen blanketing the floor, giving the impression of a layer of snow where Santa Claus and his helpers sit.
“We listened to the community. They were concerned about the environment, asking, ‘Why do we have to cut a tree down that’s 110 years old? Why do we have to cover it in Styrofoam?’ ” said Brad Helgeson, manager of Silverwoods clothing store and vice president of the mall’s board of directors.
But some merchants and community members feel that the change is a break with tradition, especially since the towering white-flocked tree was one of the biggest on the West Coast.
Some merchants are especially concerned because interest in the tree historically has drawn big crowds to the mall, which the merchants say is especially needed during the recession.
“Everyone’s upset. The tree was a really special thing,” said Diane Peters, manager at the Limited, a women’s apparel shop. “The lighting was a really special thing. A lot of people came for it. . . . We don’t think this (Winter Wilderness) looks very good.”
The mall officially opened the wilderness centerpiece, which was built by the Santa Ana-based nursery Roger’s Gardens, last Friday with the traditional lighting ceremony, which mall officials said was one of the biggest ever with more than 10,000 spectators.
