MOORPARK : City Council to Decide Fate of Landmark Trees
The Moorpark City Council tonight will decide the fate of two 90-year-old landmark pepper trees on High Street that an arborist says are ill and in danger of falling.
City officials have determined that the trees, which now have large, rotting cavities in their trunks, could collapse and injure a passerby.
“The first major wind, and those trees might come down,” said Community Services Director Christine Adams.
Adams said an arborist determined that the trees could not be saved and recommended their removal.
The trees are designated historic landmarks. The only other historic landmark in Moorpark is a former Methodist church on Walnut and Charles Street. The trees were planted for shade when the railroad line was laid through town.
“It used to be that they were the only shade between Ventura and the San Fernando Valley,” said Mary Schwabauer, a former president of the Moorpark Historical Society. “Back then it was a pretty stark place, and people would stop here for a cold drink and shade on their way to Simi or the Valley.”
The City Council will vote on whether to remove the trees during its regular 7 p.m. meeting at City Hall.
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