Bulldozers Swing Into Action on Tarzan Trees

Construction crews began uprooting a stand of stately old trees Wednesday on land once owned by Edgar Rice Burroughs after Los Angeles city officials determined there was nothing they could do to stop them.

But in response to complaints from neighbors, Manhattan Holding Co. of Long Beach agreed to preserve 42 trees, of about 290 total. The company plans to build a 30-home subdivision on the 18-acre site on Tarzana Drive.

Residents who live near the property expressed dismay.

“We’re devastated, but unfortunately there’s so few of us on Tarzana Drive that we couldn’t really do anything to stop it,” said Susanne Belcher, a 15-year resident of Tarzana Drive and member of the Tarzana Property Owners Assn. “Emotionally, when I heard about it, I just sat down and cried. Cutting those trees down is like taking away Tarzana’s history.”

The company agreed two weeks ago to delay clearance of the property pending a review of the project by the city. But City Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski and representatives from the city Street Tree Division met with the developer last week and determined the company had a legal right to remove the trees.

Miscikowski spokeswoman Lisa Levy said she was pleased the developer has agreed to preserve some trees.

“We’re disappointed that we couldn’t save more of the trees, but we’re very appreciative of what the developer has agreed to do,” Levy said. “He has a permit to remove all of them, so he’s doing more than he has to.”

The developer will preserve about 30 trees along the southern edge of the property bordering El Caballero Country Club, and about a dozen trees along the north end bordering Tarzana Drive.

Robert Davis, president of Manhattan Holding Co., said he sympathizes with the residents but said his project will improve the neighborhood.

“I understand why people feel the way they do, but we believe the development that we’re going to put there will be an improvement to the community,” he said.

The project is south of Ventura Boulevard, between Mecca Avenue and Avenida Oriente.

In 1919, the land was purchased by Burroughs, creator of the Tarzan stories and founder of Tarzana, and made up part of his sprawling Tarzana Ranch.

Most of the trees were planted between 1910 and 1912. The stand includes such tree species as coast redwoods, coast live oaks, beef wood and sequoia sempervirens.

The city identified two smaller trees, a cedar and a crape myrtle, for relocation, but Levy said city officials were unable to find a home for them.

The developer is required to replace each tree his company clears with a sapling, and two saplings must be planted for each of the two oaks that will be cleared.

Additionally, Davis has offered to widen Tarzana Drive and plant 65 new trees along the narrow residential street.

It will take a week to 10 days to level the trees and about three weeks to remove them, Davis said. Because the trees are old and have weak root systems, they will be pushed over with bulldozers before being cut up and hauled away, he said.