Council approves the view ordinance

Mike Swanson

Tree lovers battled view preservers Oct. 21 in yet another round of a

years-old debate centered on bringing a view preservation ordinance

to the city.

The City Council unenthusiastically voted 4-1 to pass the proposed

ordinance to a second reading, saying it was a step, but still not

where any of them wanted it to be.

The ordinance intends to create a process to establish view equity

that is binding and privately enforceable while preserving and

maintaining trees to the greatest extent possible.

One difference in the ordinance from the one submitted by the

Planning Commission in 1999 is the definition of hedge, which can now

be multiple trees that form generally dense vegetation.

Resident Ganka Brown’s preferred definition of hedge defines how

the view-preserving contingent feels about dense vegetation in Laguna

Beach.

“I’d like to change the definition of hedge to ‘weapons of mass

destruction,’” Brown said.

Gary Meredith, who introduced himself as Dr. Bird, spoke from the

opposite perspective, going as far as saying that residents who trim

their trees during nesting season can be held liable. City Atty. Phil

Kohn said he’s never seen that happen.

“Just to get a better view and not care about wildlife -- I have a

big problem with that,” Meredith said. “None of us want to be run out

of our homes. What right do we have to run birds out of theirs?”

Most residents who spoke at the meeting had an opinion somewhere

in between, with balance and communication the most oft-heard terms.

“There’s not enough effort to bring a kiss method in to bring

people together,” Greg Clark said. “There’s too much division.”

Clark said he worked with a neighbor some years ago to deal with

palm trees on her property that were adversely obstructing his view.

It cost time and money, but the trees were moved and both were happy,

Clark said.

“One of the things that really freaks me out is that a landscape

architect won’t put a tree in front of their client’s house, but

won’t hesitate to put one in front of someone else’s,” Clark said.

Mayor Toni Iseman referred to Clark’s comments about his

neighbor’s palm trees during the council’s closing comments, saying

she figured it was the way he approached the situation that led to

its smooth resolution.

For some, however, the problem is far more grave than

not-so-neighborly disputes. Brown, Dave Connell and Frank Visca

consider public and private trees hazardous to the city, whether for

fires, rodents or blocking sunlight.

“Views don’t obstruct like trees,” Visca said.

Councilwoman Cheryl Kinsman said she’s been through about 100

meetings with the same people discussing the issue, and one hope in

moving the ordinance along is that there won’t be 100 more.