Court to decide fate of ficus trees

Santa Monica city officials and activists are headed to court to argue the fate of 54 ficus trees previously set for removal.

A hearing scheduled for today was moved to Thursday because a new judge was recently assigned to the case and needed more time to review the arguments, officials said.

The city agreed to extend its previous promise to not remove any of the trees in question until after next week’s hearing, said Tom Nitti, an attorney representing Treesavers, the informal group of residents and visitors concerned with protecting the city’s trees.

The city plans to ask that the case be thrown out.

The activists are seeking a preliminary injunction that would protect the trees until a trial on the matter, attorneys said.

For the last several months, activists and city officials have sparred over the planned removal of the trees along 2nd and 4th streets in downtown Santa Monica, part of an $8-million beautification project.

Last month, Santa Monica’s Landmarks Commission voted 6 to 1 to deny landmark status to the trees -- and 99 others -- near the Third Street Promenade.

On Tuesday, activists seeking to overturn the commission’s decision were dealt another blow when the City Council voted 5 to 1 to uphold the denial of landmark status.

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-- Francisco Vara-Orta