Ocean Avenue Median Meets Resistance

A community group’s plan to install a tree-lined median along a section of Ocean Avenue has met with some resistance from residents.

But the president of the Trees for Seal Beach Foundation said he still hopes a compromise can be worked out.

Ocean Avenue residents spoke out against the plan at a meeting Thursday, complaining that a center island would limit their ability to turn left into their driveways.

Jim Watson, president of the foundation, said the group will instead resurrect an earlier proposal to widen the curbs on both sides of Ocean Avenue between 1st and Main streets. The extensions, he said, would easily allow for trees and other landscaping.

“Even though there were a lot of strong feelings at the meeting, I feel very good about [the project],” Watson said. “Those that were opposed still felt that [the meeting] was a good chance to move the process forward.”

The foundation will host another community meeting at City Hall at 7 tonight.

As part of its mission, the nonprofit foundation plans to finance tree-plantings along other sections of Ocean Avenue and other areas in the city with money raised through private donations and grants.

The 25-member foundation, which has raised $100,000, hopes to combine with an existing city tree committee and show a national tree organization that Seal Beach is a tree-conscious community. If they are successful, the city could receive a symbolic “Tree City USA” designation from the national group of the same name.

City officials have offered to provide some labor for the tree-planting, defraying 10% to 15% of the cost of the Ocean Avenue project, Watson said.

Watson said he hopes completion of the first phase of the Ocean Avenue project will rally other communities to tap into the foundation and beautify their neighborhoods.

“We really need to see more trees everywhere,” Watson said. “Also, this is a way of getting people working together.”

Alex Murashko can be reached at (714) 966-5974.