Workers Cut Down Sunset Boulevard Trees Blamed for Breaking Sidewalks

As part of a city program to repair sidewalks, workers cut down several ficus trees on the north side of Sunset Boulevard on Wednesday and will replace them with trees whose roots cause less damage to sidewalks.

Tree roots caused broken pavement in the area between Cahuenga Boulevard and Wilcox Avenue to rise as much as a foot above the sidewalk level, creating danger for pedestrians, said Sandra Sunday, project engineer for the Community Redevelopment Agency.

The CRA’s “sidewalk abatement project” primarily affects the area north of Hollywood Boulevard between Cahuenga and Las Palmas Avenue. The Sunset location was included because of the severity of the sidewalk problems there, she said.

After the tree roots are removed, pavement will be taken out and replaced and another variety of tree, the Chinese lantern, will be planted.

One man who works in the area was angry about the tree cutting Wednesday.

“There’s a paucity of trees in Hollywood, and this particular corner . . . needs more beautification, not less,” said Tandy Culpepper, who works on Sunset and said he thought the sidewalks looked fine. “It just infuriates me.”

The CRA received approval from property owners at the location and a permit for the city Department of Public Works before cutting the trees, Sunday said.