Culver City : Tree Laws Get Tougher
Culver City is toughening laws that protect street trees.
Council members voted at a meeting Monday to modify the criteria by which a resident can get a permit to remove a tree. Residents must prove they spent at least $5,000 in repairs due to tree damage. Damage to sewer lines alone, no matter what the cost, would not warrant removal unless other structures such as walls and foundations were damaged as well.
Residents would be required to put up a security deposit to ensure that the tree is replaced. Estimates run at $950. Residents would have to pay to install root barriers around the new trees to guide root growth.
“These are not meant to be new guidelines,” said Councilman Steven Gourley. “These are explanations of guidelines that were already set down.”
The clarifications came after three Motor Avenue residents won a two-year battle to have their trees removed. The residents said ficus trees lining the street had invaded and damaged their sewer lines.
Some Motor Avenue residents opposed the tree removal and complained that they were not involved in the decision to cut the trees down.
Council members voted to replace any ficus trees cut down on Motor Avenue with the less aggressive holly oak species.
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