Main Street ficus decision makes no sense

Looks like City Manager Homer Bludau is proud of the court’s

decision to cut down the Ficus trees on Main Street, like a kid

waiting for his test results from the DMV (“Judge approves Main

Street ficus removal,” Sept. 17).

“I’ve done everything right.” But, that’s typical of an outsider’s

view on these historical trees. I for one watched those trees grow

up. In fact, I watched the artist paint the trees on the wall of the

salon on Main Street. So I’m a little bitter about someone who just

moves into town and starts making decisions for us.

Was there a citywide vote? No.

Those trees provide more enjoyment and beauty than the damage they

cause those businesses. His statement that the cut-downs have “no

time table and work could happen any time” makes me believe there’s

more tree-cutting in his eyes.

You don’t hear any complaints from the business district on Balboa

Island about their trees. Marine Street has plenty of crack bumps

visible on the surface. I’m sure the roots are just as destructive

there as on Main Street.

Could they be next?

I agree that the area has begun to look for the better, but I

can’t see why we couldn’t be more flexible in this area. I laugh at

the thought of having to keep pace with the different construction

phases as a reason to rip the trees out so fast; after all, the city

always uses the “lowest bidder.”

Sorry I haven’t taken advantage of the new pier’s restoration;

they look great. I see many visitors with smiling faces coming off

the piers as they head to their cars.

TOM SMITH

Balboa Peninsula

I do not think the ficus trees should have been removed (“City

tears down Main Street ficus,” Sept. 19) and I think coral gum trees

are even more damaging to sidewalks -- look anywhere where there is a

coral gum tree.

MARGO STUART

Newport Beach

I finally got over my shock that they would do that and I’m just

kind of wondering how much money they’re going to lose in tourist

dollars now that they’ve taken away the ambience that we had down

there. People go there like it’s going to a different time. You walk

in there and it was like, “Oh, wow.” So, anyway, I don’t think

they’re going to have that ambience for a while so I’m sorry that

they’re probably going to get sued for their little prank that they

pulled, but that’s life, right?

WENDY MARTIN

Costa Mesa

I had no interest in it at all, but now that they’re out, I think

it looks a lot better than it did with them in there. It opens things

up and it’s like a breathe of fresh air.

DON McCOWAN

Newport Beach

I agree, wholeheartedly, with the removal of the trees on the

Peninsula. I live in Dover Shores and have the same problem and have

been asking the city to remove our trees. Over the past five years

that I’ve been here, I’ve watched them replace sidewalks three times

and put in sewer clean-out at $1,500 each all along our block. I

think the city would save money in the long run if they would just

remove the trees and replace them.

MELINDA PENTZ

Newport Beach

I’m commenting on the ficus tree supporters. I say those people --

Vandersloot and everybody else -- should move to the mountains or

Oregon and hug all the darn trees they want.

I’ve had to fight for my ocean view because of trees and tree

huggers for 17 years. In Newport Beach, we value our views and we

value our property, which is quite expensive, and ficus trees are

beautiful, but they never should have been planted in this area.

So tell Vandersloot and all the Arbor Society to move and hug all

the darn trees they want -- move to the mountains, anyplace, but

leave Newport residents and our property to us.

I would have removed the trees in the middle of the night and I

would have strung the Arbor Society members on a boat and sent them

to Catalina.

In the city of Newport Beach, our property and everything else

belongs to us, let the tree huggers move.

MARTIE STANTON

Newport Beach

I think the city should appreciate people like Vandersloot and

other more who do good work for the city of Newport Beach, and I

think that it shows the true colors of the city that they went there

at 7 a.m. to cut down the trees before the other side had a chance to

file their papers.

CANDICE HUBERT

Newport Beach

I think this whole thing is absolutely ridiculous. These trees are

not 300-year-old oak trees; these are not majestic trees. The ficus

is the pigeon of trees basically. They grow anywhere, anytime, makes

no difference. Nothing encroaches plumbing worse than a ficus tree,

there is no other tree.

The trees needed to come out without question. They’re destroying

the sidewalks. It’s not fair, and if all these people that love trees

so much; where were they when the Christmas lights were in the trees

for the last four years, the same lights just deteriorating and ugly.

Nobody took care of the trees then, and now all of the sudden

there is a big uproar about how we should be protecting these things

and, as much as I love trees, the ficus tree does not produce oxygen.

It doesn’t do anything except for encroach in plumbing, hurt the

local residents, the local businesses, and that is how I feel about

it. I just think it’s absolutely ridiculous. Let’s put some nice

palms in. I think also let’s not put in the gum trees; it is a

stupid, ugly tree. Put in some nice beautiful majestic palms or

something that’s more indigenous to the area and let’s move on with

it.

JEFF ARSMAN

Balboa Peninsula

What was the real reason for this emergency act requiring a police

task force and the breaking of the noise ordinance law? Truly trees

are more trouble than cement. They shed leaves, make cracks in the

sidewalk but they are beautiful and they should be respected. I

suspect that the council is not interested in beauty but sees things

only in terms of dollar signs. The beauty that was Newport Beach is

almost all gone today and has been turned into one large parking lot.

I am really incensed by this act of the council.

BARBARA LINDQUIST

Newport Beach

I’m pretty upset with the chopping down of the ficus trees. They

were absolutely beautiful and they did offer some shade and I hope

that they don’t make that place look like Disneyland No. 2; that’s

what I’m most concerned about.

That’s such a nice old Newport area and flavor and I hate to see

all the revitalization going in there and ruining it and making it

look like South Coast Plaza or Fashion Island with all the fake

Disneyland perfection. I loved to see it the way it is. And also,

would you please tell the city that I have a eucalyptus tree on

Fourth Avenue in front of my house that needs cutting down if they

really want to cut down a tree.

SANDRA BASMACIYAN

Corona del Mar

I object to the city taking down the ficus trees and hope that

everybody agrees with us.

JAMES P. ANDERSON

Newport Beach

I have the Balboa Island Web site and I have been getting a lot of

disturbing mail from elsewhere in Southern California regarding our

trees. I replied to the people who wrote that ficus trees are very

destructive; we are paying a price for a mistake made by city

managers years ago and ficus trees are no longer allowed to be

planted in public areas.

Twenty years from now, when the new trees are big, everyone’s

going to wonder what the big fuss was. I’m from the Midwest

originally. I’ve always been amazed that Californians didn’t

understand that trees were the cheapest form of air conditioning

available.

I love trees, but I don’t love destructive trees. This was a

matter of money, it wasn’t a matter of anything else. If the people

who wanted those trees to stay were willing to pay yearly for the

damage that was done by them, then they could stay. Otherwise, I

think that we have to bow to the city leaders that we elected and not

try and run the city. They have studied this ad infinitum. Let’s stop

looking at the present and look to the future and create a beautiful

place for our children and grandchildren. By the time the new trees

have grown to maturity it will be beautiful for the future. Stop

being so selfish in the present and look ahead.

CAROLYN CARR

Balboa Island