City wants another view of Canyon Park

Claudia Figueroa

COSTA MESA -- The City Council this week authorized an ecological

evaluation of Canyon Park in an effort to prove that wildlife can be

preserved even if some trees are removed.

The study, which could cost the city up to $3,000, calls for an

ecological expert to analyze the effect of replacing the trees with

native shrubs. The results would be included in a proposal to the

California Coastal Commission, requesting permission to remove trees that

are blocking residents’ views of the ocean.

“This decision won’t automatically resolve everybody’s interests,” said

City Manager Allan Roeder. “But the council is committed to satisfying

the residents’ desire for ocean views with those who want the wildlife

habitat preserved.”

Almost a year ago, a group of residents went to the council with concerns

about the overgrowth of eucalyptus trees at Canyon Park, which is located

on the west side of Costa Mesa.

Three months ago, the city took the homeowners’ concerns to the Coastal

Commission, which regulates Canyon Park because it is located in a

coastal zone.

City officials asked the commission if the trees could be replaced with

shorter native shrubs so residents could see the coast.

The commission opposed the idea but agreed to reevaluate the proposal if

the city would conduct a habitat evaluation to prove that native shrubs

would have an equal or greater environmental value for the park than the

eucalyptus trees.

“Their main concern is to make sure there is no loss of wildlife habitat

in the park, which is a concern that most of us feel strongly about,”

Roeder said.

The city’s next step is to hire a firm to prepare biological evaluations,

said Dave Alkema, the city’s parks supervisor and project manager for

Canyon Park.

In the meantime, the city is working with West Coast Arborists, the

park’s tree-trimming company, to thin out the trees without cutting them

down.

Residents near the park might have a beautiful panoramic ocean view

without knowing it because there is a eucalyptus tree blocking their

view, said James Keller, a Costa Mesa resident who presented the issue to

the council in 1998.

Although Keller, 32, admits his main concern is to protect his property

value, he said he is pleased with the way the city is handling the issue.

“So far, it’s been a positive experience,” he said. “Council members are

doing what they can to help the residents and they’re maintaining the

integrity of the park.”