VENTURA : Honey Locusts to Be Replaced by Palms

With the downtown improvement project 60% completed and dozens of trees already planted along California Street, the Ventura City Council has opted to uproot as many as 30 honey locusts and replace them with queen palms.

The council voted 5 to 2 Monday to remove the honey locusts already planted along California Street between Thompson Boulevard and Poli Street.

The change was proposed by Councilman Gregory L. Carson, who said he was approached by a number of downtown merchants asking that the gateway to the city be lined solely with palm trees.

“We are spending millions of dollars on this project,” Carson said. “This is at the merchants’ request. They’re asking us to do what is right.”

The change, which will mean as many as 30 honey locusts planted earlier this month will be replanted along Main Street, will cost $22,000--money that is included in the contingency of the $3.5-million beautification plan.

But not everyone on the council agreed with Carson. Councilmen Jack Tingstrom and Steve Bennett voted against spending the extra money.

“I think this would be a big mistake,” Bennett said at Monday’s council meeting. “We’ve already put these trees in.

“We’ve got other pressing issues to consider,” Bennett added. “We shouldn’t pull these trees out and we shouldn’t spend $22,000.”

The change could have been authorized without the council’s approval. But staff planners said they would rather let the council decide the issue because the beautification project is a high-profile renovation that includes wider sidewalks, new street lamps and other improvements.

It is scheduled to be completed in mid-July.