City Council Talks Trees

Although new developments and parking are two issues typically guaranteed to spark controversy during council meetings, one topic overshadowed the discussion Monday: Culver City's trees.

A rampant fungus commonly known as "sooty canker" is killing off many of Culver City's ficus trees, according to Steven Orozco, the city's street and tree maintenance supervisor. First discovered in winter 2009 by the Public Works Department, the fungus has now infested 47 trees on Schaefer Street, two on Lincoln Avenue and two on Ocean Avenue.

When the ficus trees started to show signs of disease, such as peeling, dry branches and defoliation, Public Works staffers attempted to fertilize and prune them, but many of the trees had an advanced stage of the fungus and were not able to recover. 

The spread of sooty canker, formally known as natrassia mangefera, has residents and the City Council concerned.

"I came here two weeks ago about an epidemic in Culver City," resident Rich Waters told the council at Monday's meeting. "All you have to do is go over on Schaefer Street, which is two long blocks, [and see that] they have practically all of their ficus trees wiped out. This fungus is decimating our ficus trees. These are big trees that take in a lot of carbon dioxide and give back a lot of oxygen…I beseech you all to get on top of this before we have all of the ficuses wiped out in Culver City."

Vice Mayor Micheal O'Leary said at the meeting that he had lost a tree in front of his house on Schaefer Street because of sooty canker. "We are probably going to lose all the trees on Schaefer Street eventually," he said. "The disease is pretty rampant--it's very aggressive. It appears that it has traveled three-fourths of the way down Schaefer, and we might be able to save a few at the end, but it doesn't look very promising."

The Public Works Department is looking for a recommendation on how it should treat the fungus and is assessing all of the ficus trees in the city,  according to Charles Herbertson, Public Works director. 

In other tree news, the Redevelopment Agency approved—in a 4-0 vote—an amendment to the Street Tree Master Plan for the portion of Sepulveda Boulevard between Culver Boulevard and the city limit line south of Franklin Avenue. According to the city staff report, the primary change to the master plan is to replace the Yew Pine trees currently on the street with White Orchid and London Plane Trees to improve the area for pedestrians.

In addition to the tree variety replacement, pedestrian benches, trash receptacles and decorated paving as well as lighting for safety will also be added.

Funded by a $291,000 Metropolitan Transportation Authority grant, the new plan got mixed reviews from the two respondents during the public comment period.

"The ones that are there now are not uniform and they don't enhance the neighborhood much," Sepulveda business owner Ed Little said. "But I would be very careful not to duplicate the problem we have now, which is that it is very difficult to locate the businesses on Sepulveda Boulevard. I think you need to be very careful and put the trees in a place that won't adversely affect the businesses."

Waters, who has planted trees throughout Southern California with the Tree People for 20 years, disagreed that the two varieties chosen would be best for local businesses, owing to the trees' height as well as the amount of leaves they drop. 

"These are both great street trees," countered Councilman Scott Malsin, who recommended the chosen species. "They will be better than what's there now."  

As for the Yew Pines that will be removed, Malsin said that the Redevelopment Agency will make the trees available to anyone who wants them.

"I think it will increase pedestrians in the area--another great project for Culver City," Mayor Christopher Armenta said about the amended Street Tree Master Plan.