Six trees damaged by pruning

June Casagrande

City staff are trying to find out why six liquidambar trees on San

Miguel Drive near Ford Road were so severely trimmed that they may

not recover.

The city trees were cropped far closer than city standards allow

while contractor West Coast Arborist was trimming 111 trees in and around the Broadmoor Sea View development, General Services Director

Dave Niederhaus said.

The trees were being trimmed as part of the city’s supplemental

trimming policy. The city normally trims its trees every three years.

The supplemental trimming policy, in some cases, allows residents to

pay out of pocket for more frequent trimming to preserve views.

Representatives of the Broadmoor Sea View Homeowners Assn. began

working with the city several months ago to arrange for the

additional trimming, Niederhaus said. Homeowners, city staff and

representatives of West Coast Arborists held a meeting at which the

parties agreed to exact specifications for trimming the trees.

But somewhere along the line, their instructions were tossed

aside.

“Six were trimmed well beyond the standards of the city ,”

Niederhaus said. “We can’t confirm yet how it happened.”

Resident Stephen Brahs said that, in his view, about 40 of the

trees appear to have been excessively trimmed.

“Those were gorgeous trees; I’ve always looked forward to driving

down San Miguel because the trees make it so beautiful there,” Brahs

said. “There should be consequences for any illegal actions here.”

Residents who have paid for supplemental trimming sometimes

approach workers to tell them how to do the work, Niederhaus said.

About three or four years ago, residents near Cliff Drive Park

persuaded contractors to cut more than they were supposed to from

several trees in the area. Those trees have recovered, he said.

Niederhaus said he was unsure whether the San Miguel trees were

victims of a similar communication breakdown.

“It definitely wasn’t the city that did it, and it definitely

wasn’t the field supervisor for West Coast Arborist,” Niederhaus

said. The contractor has a long and successful history of working for

the city, he said.

“We think it was an accident, that maybe some folks went out there

and convinced one of the workers to trim more,” he said. Niederhaus

said that if the trees don’t survive, the city will replace them. The

estimated value of the trees is $5,000 each.

* JUNE CASAGRANDE covers Newport Beach and John Wayne Airport. She

may be reached at (949) 574-4232 or by e-mail at

june.casagrande@latimes.com.