IRVINE : Eucalyptus Trees Will Be Preserved

Eighty-year-old eucalyptus trees lining a narrow strip of land behind homes in the Northwood community will be part of a future greenbelt, the City Council has decided.

The future of the proposed greenbelt, though, is less certain. The council Tuesday night let die a proposal to raise $2.3 million for the greenbelt by imposing a $74-a-year property tax on Northwood residents for five years.

Instead of a tax, the council asked city staff members to explore other ways of raising money to install the landscaping, lighting and an eight-foot walkway along the 1.4-mile-long strip.

The council’s decision puts the proposed greenbelt project where it was at the start of the year. City staff members had recommended the tax as the only way to build the park in the near future.

A group of residents living near the former railroad spur have been asking the city since 1989 to turn the area into a greenbelt. The residents said the work is needed to remove what they call an eyesore and source of vandalism for young people and homeless people who use the strip. The unpaved strip also is a popular walking and jogging path for residents.

Finding the money for the path had been the only hindrance until the controversy erupted over the eucalyptus trees in July.

A group of residents, mostly those whose back yards abut the strip, told the council that the 250 trees that line the path were a hazard. Northwood resident Ann Cleland, one of the strongest voices behind replacing the eucalyptus trees, submitted newspaper clippings and brought a tree consultant to a council meeting to show that eucalyptus trees are known for dropping branches. Another resident testified that a fallen branch nearly struck her son while he sat in their back yard.

In response, the council voted in July to remove all of the trees. But the next meeting brought an outcry from other residents who argued to save the trees. The line of trees was planted to serve as a wind break to citrus groves that used to fill the area. The Northwood area is still filled with many rows of eucalyptus trees, and the city has a policy to preserve the historic trees whenever possible.

With disagreement over the trees, the council voted to mail a survey to residents to find out whether they were willing to pay a $74-a-year tax for five years to build the greenbelt next year and whether residents wanted the trees preserved or replaced.

Of the 23% of the residents who returned the survey, only 32% supported the tax. But 90% said they wanted to save the eucalyptus trees.

Tuesday, the council voted to preserve as many of the trees as possible. About 50 trees will be removed because of disease or because they are located next to back-yard walls.