It’s taken almost a year, three public meetings, countless staff time, experts and ground-penetrating radar, but the problematic eucalyptus tree jeopardizing someone’s house is finally being removed.
Well, let’s wait until we hear the chainsaws and someone yells “timber” because in Laguna Beach, you never know how long an issue might be prolonged.
But officially, it seems like a done deal.
The City Council was supposed to rubberstamp the lemon-scented gum tree case on Tuesday, but the meeting was postponed. However, all indications are that the tree is coming down.
You may remember that the crooked and damaged tree was tilting toward a house at 387 El Camino Del Mar. The resident contacted the city because the tree is on public property.
Long story short, that set off a series of bureaucratic machinations and political posturing because, you know, it’s a tree in Laguna.
Of course, the new fancy studies confirmed the original assessment by the city’s arborist: The tree is dangerous and should come down.
The other outcome to all of this activity is new proposed language in the city’s “Tree Removal and Planting Policy for Public Trees.” Basically, we get the privilege of going through this whole procedure for all dangerous trees moving forward.
Woo-woo.
