Tree Lovers Fail to Sway Council : Protest: Residents are furious over the city’s destruction of jacarandas. But officials contend the trees’ sprawling roots buckled sidewalks, causing a safety hazard.

About 20 residents showed up at City Hall Tuesday to protest a city program to remove overgrown trees, but they failed to persuade city officials to impose a moratorium on tree-cutting.

Most of the protesters were residents of Stephora Avenue in Covina, where the city has cut down nine jacaranda trees to repair damaged sidewalks. During the City Council meeting, the demonstrators stood at the back of the council chamber and held signs reading, “Save Covina’s Trees,” “Trees No Fees” and “No Approval for Removal.”

City officials, however, said the trees, whose roots were causing sidewalks to buckle, were a liability. Their removal was part of a citywide program prompted by a lawsuit filed two years ago by a 91-year-old resident who tripped and fell on a cracked sidewalk, breaking his neck. He won an out-of-court settlement for $100,000.

Since last December, a contractor has removed 38 trees, including one pine that was damaged by fire.

Residents, however, said that workers unnecessarily cut down trees on their street. They demanded that the city stop cutting trees and hire an arborist to determine whether a tree near a damaged sidewalk should be removed or spared. They also want the fallen trees replaced for free.

But officials said a moratorium is out of the question because the city is responsible for substandard sidewalk conditions.

“Public safety is the issue,” said Councilman Chris Lancaster. “We can always replace a tree, but we can’t replace the quality of life of an individual who is seriously injured.”

The council approved Lancaster’s suggestion that the hiring of an arborist be discussed during upcoming budget sessions.

However, City Engineer Ray Coakley said that the city is unable to plant and maintain additional trees because the only available funds are from the city’s landscape district, which was formed in 1981 to raise funds for the city to maintain trees. Property owners in all new developments are required to join. Currently only 10% of the city’s residents belong.

Due to budget and staff cutbacks, the pruning of the city’s 7,000 trees has been neglected, causing the roots to grow faster, Coakley said.

City Manager John Thomson said that the $140,000 sidewalk-repair fund has almost run out and that he doesn’t expect any more trees to be removed. He added that residents could get new trees if they join the city’s landscape district and pay a $21 annual assessment.

Thomson also offered residents the option of planting and maintaining their own trees and signing an agreement releasing the city from liability.

But the protesters insisted that the city should pay for new trees because officials failed to notify homeowners of the sidewalk reconstruction. They also complained that tree losses have resulted in decreased property values.

“We have suffered a great financial loss,” said Charlene Fluster. “Two realtors said that the salability of our block has diminished at least 5%.”

Ana Riffel was one of the few residents on Stephora who saved her tree. She came home early one day this month and found a man preparing to cut it down. She threatened to sue him and he stopped.

“The trees used to be like an umbrella, providing shade and beautiful purple flowers,” Riffel said. “I feel like they raped our street. They came to do what they had to do without telling us.”