Group wants pruning law

Andrew Edwards

Voters may decide the next round in an ongoing debate between

tree-lovers and fans of ocean views.

A group of Lagunans plan to draft a ballot initiative that would

require the city to enforce view restoration -- giving homeowners the

ability to go to City Hall to make their neighbors trim or cut down

trees that have grown to block views.

“The only way to do this is to take it to the voters,” John

Rhineberger said. Rhineberger is a member of the tentatively named

RAVE Laguna, the group hoping to get the measure passed. The group’s

acronym stands for Restore All View Equities.

“We agreed we must have an ordinance passed with no gray areas, in

other words, bulletproof,” Rhineberger said.

An argument advanced by proponents is that an ordinance is needed

to preserve property values for people who move into homes with

scenic ocean views.

“The realtors are advertising fabulous views ... . I have yet to

see an ad that says ‘fabulous trees,” RAVE chairwoman Sandy

Rhineberger said.

But moving to codify trees in their relation to views is the wrong

approach, said Ann Christoph, a former mayor and tree advocate.

“I just think it’s a nightmare,” she said.

Christoph outlined two problems she saw with the proposal: the

burden it would place on city resources and the aesthetic costs of

diminishing greenery.

“It’s going to cost the city a lot of money to administer

something like this,” Christoph said.

It would be far better, she said, for neighbors to settle

disagreements over trees and views among themselves, or to use an

arbitration process.

“You can go and invite the person over for cocktails and talk

about it,” Christoph said.

In February, City Council members expressed reluctance to approve

a restoration ordinance and challenged view restoration proponents to

take the issue before voters after taking a proposed view restoration

ordinance off of the Planning Commission’s agenda. To get the measure

on the ballot, RAVE Laguna will need to collect about 1,600

signatures.

RAVE members have not yet drafted an initiative and are looking to

ordinances passed in other cities, such as Rancho Palos Verdes, for

examples of measures that have met voter approval. Proponents of a

new ordinance also will likely focus exclusively on trees and plants

and leave concerns related to buildings out of an initiative.

“It’s the vegetation, and particularly the old vegetation, I think

that we need to take a look at,” Dale Ghere said at a Saturday

meeting held by RAVE Laguna.