Groups will meet in court next week
By DAILY PRESS STAFF
DOWNTOWN, LA — The ficus saga will continue this Thursday when City Hall and the Santa Monica Treesavers meet in court for a hearing that could determine whether the mature trees on Second and Fourth streets will stay or go.
The hearing could be the Treesavers’ last chance to block the removal of 54 ficus trees as part of a streetscape enhancement project approved by the City Council last summer.
The council earlier this week denied the activists’ bid to landmark the trees in Downtown, an attempt by the Treesavers to put a stop to the removal. City Hall was prepared to move forward with the streetscape plan on Friday, but will wait until the hearing is completed.
The hearing was supposed to take place on Friday, Feb. 22, but a new judge was assigned to the case and requested more time to review the facts. City Hall originally agreed to postpone the removal until that date. When the judge asked for more time, city officials said they were not going to wait.
That forced the attorney for the Treesavers to argue for a new hearing on Feb. 28, which was granted Thursday. City Hall changed it’s mind at the request of the court and will hold off.
“At the suggestion of the court, we agreed to it,” Assistant City Attorney Joseph Lawrence said.
The lawsuit dates back to October of last year when the Treesavers argued that City Hall violated terms of the California Environmental Quality Act when it failed to submit an environmental impact report outlining the effects of removing the trees from Second and Fourth streets. Lawrence said at the time that an EIR was conducted twice — in 1996 and again in 1997.
The trees are part of an $8.2 million streetscape improvement project that includes lighting improvements and pedestrian enhancements along Second and Fourth streets from Colorado Avenue to Wilshire Boulevard.
Judge John P. Shooks issued a temporary restraining order against City Hall in early October, halting the tree removal portion of the project from moving forward just days before it was set to commence. That order has since expired and in late October, the Treesavers filed an application nominating all of the ficus trees in the project area as landmarks. If the trees were landmarked, they would be protected from removal.
The Landmarks Commission rejected the application at its meeting in January. Commission Chairwoman Nina Fresco, who was among the members that voted against designation, told the council earlier this week that while she doesn’t believe the trees qualify for landmark status, she believes councilmembers should revisit their decision from last summer before moving forward.
The Treesavers argued the historical significance associated with the trees — planted thanks to the efforts of former resident Jacqueline Girion and Clo Hoover, the first female mayor of Santa Monica. Their efforts represent the women’s and environmental movements in Santa Monica, the Treesavers asserted.
One of the leaders of the grassroots campaign, Jerry Rubin, said on Thursday he was pleased to hear the trees would get another week, though he again expressed desire to meet with city officials outside of the courtroom.
“I’m happy they agreed not to start on Friday,” Rubin said. “I’m glad they’re being respectful of giving us more time.”
Jump hedline: Treesavers and City Hall to meet in court this week
Suggested pullquote: “I’m glad they’re being respectful of giving us more time.”
Jerry Rubin
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 23, 2008. Read the original PDF.