This past week, Q-line asked: Do you think the current trees (on Second and Fourth streets in downtown) should be left alone or do they need to go?
Here are your responses: “IT IS NICE THAT YOU ARE TAKING A poll of who is for and who is against the trees. However, it will do no good. The City Council has already made up their minds and I use that word loosely. Since when have they listened to or bided by the will of the people on any major issue? Good-bye, lovely trees.”
“CAN THE CITY COUNCIL AND ITS Bayside toadies do more to destroy what little charm is left in this town? I thought we were a green city. Why are we cutting down trees that scrub those nasty car fumes? Why not take $200,000 from the bum czar’s salary and hire five city tree trimmers to maintain the central business district area. The ficus trees need to be pruned correctly and the ginkos are deciduous trees.”
“IF IT IS OBTRUSIVENESS THAT SOME folks are concerned about regarding the ficus trees along Second and Fourth streets, I assure them that the Santa Monica city arborist can trim the trees down in a sculptured manner and the trees will remain beautiful and magnificent. Root damage to sidewalks is another issue, but most trees create root damage. There are ways to circumvent root damage by removing some of it.”
“THERE IS NO POINT IN REMOVING the trees unless the trees are dead. Otherwise, leave it alone. If they do take these trees out, they will probably just put some scrawny little ones in their place. Leave the trees alone.”
“THE CITY, WHICH PRIDES ITSELF ON being ecologically correct, plans to destroy mature, healthy trees which provide welcome greenery and shade. This is another absurd idea from the idiots in City Hall.”
“OUR LEADERS WHO CONSTANTLY congratulate themselves for being green want to cut down healthy trees. They sponsor ugly buildings in the name of ecological correctness and still want to cut back beautiful, healthy hedges. Selective pruning and thinning out would solve the problems of the trees as well as on the council.”
“I DON’T THINK THOSE TREES SHOULD be cut down. I walk all over Santa Monica because I live here and I don’t drive any more than I have to. They provide shade and oxygen. I don’t understand what the city is thinking in cutting them down. And I don’t believe they are blocking signage.”
“AS LANDLORDS, WE WERE FORCED BY our totally mismanaged city Gestapo to put bottle brush trees on our street. They are ugly and drop a daily mess of red hairs everywhere. On other streets, they are too big and are always pushing the sidewalks up, creating a trip and fall hazard. These trees grow roots into drain lines and create stoppages. Instead of large trees, some nice flowers or flowering trees would help fix this problem.”
“THE CURRENT TREES SHOULD BE CUT down or removed and new trees that are better suited should remain in place. The current trees block the signage and are just too thick. They should be removed.”
“I THINK THAT I SHALL NEVER SEE A poem as lovely as a tree. The beautiful ficus trees set for replacement on Second and Fourth streets in the downtown area are all poems. They are one of the most environmentally friendly tree species. They provide a beautiful green canopy all year round and they do not block the merchant’s business signs. The cost of replacing these beautiful trees could be used for better street lighting and more sidewalk repairs. The Bayside District should stop the tree replacement aspect of an otherwise good Second and Fourth streets improvement plan.”
“PLEASE DON’T REMOVE THE TREES on Santa Monica’s streets. Even the people in the rainforests are stopping the cutting down of trees. We have so few trees in Santa Monica as it is. Please allow them to remain and enhance our city.”
“I THINK THE FICUS TREES SHOULD BE left alone and the City Council and Bayside District should be the ones that need to go. Just leave our trees alone.”
“THESE ARE LIVING, HEALTHY TREES and it is going to cost $700,000 to cut them down. Do I think these trees should be cut down and cost all that money? No!”
“I DON’T THINK IT IS A GOOD IDEA to remove those trees because they provide good health and a good experience in that neighborhood. I think the retailers should advertise more and I don’t think it makes sense considering that the city is trying to be eco-friendly. It would be irresponsible and they can spend the money on advertising instead.”
“THE FICUS SHOULD GO. THEY ARE simply a make-work project for a city that likes to tax and spend. The amount of money, fuel and energy that is utilized to trim the trees and repair the sewers far outweighs the shade of these dirty trees.”
“OUT THEY GO. GOOD IDEA. HOW about you tree lovers go to City Hall and pay for the upkeep or be quiet. All the trees do is break the curb, sidewalks and streets. We have too many trees in Santa Monica. The city is too tree happy. How much water do they suck out of the ground every year?”
“YOU’D BE CRAZY TO CUT DOWN healthy trees. Don’t you dare!”
“KEEP YOUR FREAKIN’ HANDS OFF of those trees!”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 9, 2007. Read the original PDF.