Fronds Vs. Needles
Most aspects of an ambitious plan to restore Orange’s Old Towne Plaza to its historic roots won resounding approval when presented to city leaders last month.
Then the discussion turned to 16 Canary Islands pine trees, planted along sidewalks surrounding the traffic circle during a renovation in the 1970s. That’s where the plaza “vision plan,” studied and debated by a group of landscape designers and architects for more than seven years, sprouted controversy.
To the chagrin of some residents and tree lovers, the City Council approved a recommendation to remove the pines and replace them with 52 palm trees, harking back to the plaza’s look from the 1880s to the 1940s.
But in a procedural twist, the pine supporters soon will get a second chance to persuade the council to save the trees.
“[Council members] have been so critical of what they say are mistakes from the past,” said Janine McCormack, an Orange resident and landscape architect. “What makes them so sure they’ve got it right this time?”
History is not on the side of the pines.
“According to people who have been here forever, palm trees were always on the plaza,” said Anne Siebert, a resident and activist with the Old Towne Preservation Assn.
While her group does not plan to oppose a tree replacement, she does have strong feelings for the pines--reflecting the mixed emotions many residents have expressed on the issue.
“I think the pines are beautiful,” she said. “They add a majesty to the plaza. It’s hard to get growth that large.”
Designers acknowledge the majesty of the pines, but said other factors weigh in opposition.
The pines, some of which stand 60 feet, drop needles and cones on the heads of unsuspecting visitors, dampening tourist enthusiasm, according to designers. The pines also stand in the way of plans to expand outdoor cafes and to generate some night-life downtown.
Many plaza merchants, who work with the trees just a few feet from their stoops, said the needles and cones have been driving them nuts for years. The mess piles up on roofs and in drainage pipes, and even gums up air-conditioners.
“As beautiful as they are and as much as I love them, they just aren’t right for the area,” said Hank Mascolo of Hank’s Barber Shop. “I’ve been hit on the head by pine cones and it hurts. It scares the heck out of you.”
Historical accuracy also is crucial to the $500,000 renovation plan, including expanded walkways and added light poles, benches and landscaping to match the plaza’s previous look.
Preservationists depicted the plaza’s palm-tree era last year when they successfully nominated the entire mile-square Old Towne district for a listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The district’s plaza earned the listing in 1982.
Mayor Joanne Coontz, who has been fielding hotline calls on the issue, said she is sure the decision to remove the pines is the right one.
“They don’t realize that the pines never should have been put there in the first place,” she said. “They are not a sidewalk tree. A lot of trees are misplaced in communities. People are just learning more about it.”
But pine supporters say the trees are misunderstood, and after 30 years in the plaza have historic value of their own.
An arborist recently hired by the group said the pine trees are healthy and flourishing and have an estimated value of more than $400,000, said Bea Kight-Herbst, a resident and horticulturist.
The trees, supporters added, offer shade and canopies, and stand well above the buildings, contributing to a skyline visible for miles around; needles and cones can be swept up more often and pruning can be done in the winter to keep sap from falling.
In comparison, palm trees offer little to pedestrians, McCormack said.
“They feel like telephone poles,” she said. “It just isn’t a great look. There’s no foliage or canopy. The pines feel a whole lot more like hometown to a lot of people.”
The pro-pine arguments already may have swayed some.
Councilman Dan Slater, who originally voted for the plan as presented, said he is now rethinking the issue.
“Ever since this first came up, I’ve had a question mark over it,” he said. “We don’t want downtown Orange to look like some trendy shopping center in Newport Beach. . . . Before the ultimate decision is made, I want to feel very confident we are doing the right thing.”
Officials called for the revote after Councilman Michael Alvarez, who owns property in the plaza, realized he should have abstained. The second vote on the plan will be taken Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. at City Hall.
(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)
NEIGHBORHOODS / Old Towne Plaza
Bounded by: Plaza and traffic circle, intersected by Glassell Street and Chapman Avenue, is within a mile-square historic district.
Population: About 1,700 homes and businesses in Old Towne historic district.
Hot topic: Renovation plans call for removing 16 Canary Islands pine trees from the plaza and replacing them with palm trees. Consultants say palms are less messy and more historically accurate.
