IRVINE : Council to Restudy Eucalyptus Removal

After signing the death warrant for 250 historic eucalyptus trees earlier this month, the City Council will consider Tuesday whether the blue gums really need to be removed.

The council voted unanimously to replace the row of 80-year-old trees because they pose a potential danger to residents. The trees line a former railroad line that runs behind homes in the city’s Northwood community. The city hopes to landscape the area and build a pedestrian path by taxing Northwood residents $74 a year for five years.

City Councilwoman Paula Werner asked the council to reconsider after some residents complained of the decision.

The council voted July 14 to replace the trees along the proposed linear park after several nearby residents said they believe that the trees are unsafe. The old eucalyptus trees regularly drop huge branches, they said, creating a hazard for residents and pedestrians using the path.

One resident told the council that a limb suddenly tore away last month from the eucalyptus behind her home, barely missing her son.

Residents also hired the owner of a tree-trimming service, who testified that eucalyptus trees are known for dropping branches.

“Eventually, somebody’s going to get hurt,” said John Sevier, owner of Eucalyptus Tree Service in San Diego, who also acts as a consultant in personal-injury lawsuits involving broken branches.

The city’s tree specialist and an outside arborist examined the trees earlier this year and concluded that all seemed healthy and pest free. Assistant City Manager Allison Hart said the trees are as safe as the other eucalyptus windbreaks in the city. However, none of the studies given to the council described the degree of safety.

Judy Liebeck, a local historian, said she will ask the council Tuesday night to save as many of the 250 trees as possible because of their ties to the city’s agricultural past. The Irvine Co. planted the row of eucalyptus trees at least 80 years ago to protect its citrus groves from high winds, Liebeck said.

Irvine city officials recognized the historic significance of the area’s eucalyptus rows in 1981 when the council passed a eucalyptus preservation resolution. The resolution protects the trees unless removal significantly improves an area or offers other public benefits, such as increased safety.