City workers cut a mature Sycamore tree (below) against community wishes, leaving a stump, which looked like the City was giving residents the finger.
This photo was taken from the LA Street Service website. Notice the tree was already leaning prior to being hit by a truck. https://streets.lacity.gov/resources/tree-inventory
Despite pleas from residents to save a California Sycamore, city workers aided by eight police officers took a chainsaw to the tree that was located on 15150 La Cruz drive, next to the Pharmaca building, leaving a stump.
“We hate to lose any tree, but this is a blow for tree lovers who appreciate the ecological benefits provided by our mature trees,” said Cindy Kirven a member of the Palisades Forestry Committee. “Especially with far too few remaining as street trees after the fire.”
For some, this episode repeats the City incompetence that Palisades residents dealt with during and after the Palisades fire. The situation was a reminder of the gas problems that included exploding lines because gas had not been shut off, and water lines breaking and flooding streets on January 8 and 9, 2025.
Unlike the fire when most residents did not see police officers on the streets or helping with evacuations, eight responded to the tree “emergency” on March 12.
Additionally, those on site were told the tree had to be taken down for liability issues to protect residents. It led one resident to say after seeing the stump, “the fire raged, burned our entire town, and now the city protects us by cutting down a tree.”
La Cruz between Sunset and Swarthmore has been the sole hub of the town after the Palisades Fire. It was the only block that has had offices and businesses open, including the Post Office, Palisades Garden Café, The American Legion, the Palisades Recovery Center – and access to Alma Real that led to the temporary library and the Recreation Center.
Despite it being a vital street, residents learned that SoCalGas was starting a “pipeline enhancement project” on La Cruz starting March 10 for about four weeks and would include excavation and intermittent lane closures.
Yesterday, March 12, the gas crew hit a water main around 10 a.m., closing the street.
The gas company while doing a “pipeline enhancement project” hit a water main.
DWP was called and worked to stop the water flow.
A delivery truck was stranded and instead of letting it go up the middle of LaCruz to escape the gas/water mess, a city worker waved the driver into the lane next to the curb (where cars are usually parked), where it became entangled in Sycamore branches.
When the truck backed off the branches, workers noticed the tree was leaning.
Today, CTN called The StreetsLA Urban Forestry Division (UFD) to ask if there was a permit to cut down the tree on La Cruz yesterday and also inquired when the tree was trimmed last. According to Streets L.A. website, the City’s “top priority is the safety of the street trees it manages.’”
Oliver Hall, Principal Public Relations Representative for Department Public Works, told CTN “The sycamore in question was damaged by a collision with a box truck. Following an inspection by the Urban Forestry Division and consultation with the community, the tree was determined to be irreparably damaged, needing to be removed to protect the safety of residents. The City does not require a permit to immediately remove or resolve a tree emergency. City crews are meeting with the Mayor’s Office and Council Office to discuss next steps with Palisades residents for replacing the tree.”
But for many Palisadians including advocates Maryam Zar, Jessica Rogers, Cindy Kiven and Valeria Serna, residents and Palisades High School students, they felt they were not being heard. They did not want or feel the tree needed to be removed. They called the Mayor’s office and Councilmember office hoping for someone to intercede.
Eight police officers responded to the tree cutting. The residents below, who objected to the tree being cut without a permit sat next to the tree in the shade.
Residents and students sat by the tree to prevent it from being cut.
Serna told CTN, “I’m still very upset and shocked about the loss, and the fact that the police turned on us, threatened to arrest us for exercising our constitutional right to protest; it’s our civic duty to voice concerns. The First Amendment protects the right to assemble and express views through protests in public spaces.”
Rogers explained, “it was like a power move. They walked around us revving the chain saw.” Allegedly one officer said, “I’m tired of this.” Rogers has filed a complaint against Officers Miranda and Bonner.
CTN spoke by phone to several people at the site in late afternoon and asked if a permit had been shown to cut the tree. The answer was “no, they said didn’t need one.”
Palisadians at the site had spoken by phone to an arborist who suggested that installing supplemental support bolts in the cracked trunk, was a commonly used tree stabilization technique in arboriculture. The Palisades Forestry committee would have had funds to pay for the stabilization. But the City’s Tree Surgeon Supervisor Wilver Giron was adamant it had to come out NOW for liability reasons.
The entire tree canopy and branches were cut, leaving only a trunk.
Late in the afternoon, Rogers said the group felt they had reached an agreement with workers, asking them to trim the leaning branch. Instead, the entire tree canopy and all the branches were cut, leaving only a seven-foot stump.
At 6:30 p.m. even though only a stump was left of a “protected” tree – the street was closed.
Sycamores are protected in Los Angeles City [Ordinance No. 186,873], and a permit is required for removal or relocation of a protected tree or shrub, or for potentially destructive activities that may result in death of a protected tree or shrub. In order to obtain a permit, an application must be submitted to the City of Los Angeles Urban Forestry Division (UFD). The application must be accompanied by a report prepared by a “Tree Expert,” defined by Ordinance No. 186,873 as a person with one or more of the following certifications, qualifications, or licenses: a Certified Arborist with the International Society of Arboriculture who holds a valid California license as an agricultural pest control advisor; or a Certified Arborist with the International Society of Arboriculture who is a licensed landscape architect; or a Registered Consulting Arborist with the American Society of Consulting Arborists.