The City of West Hollywood has begun its annual tree pruning program, which is expected to continue through February 2016.
The program is an effort to maintain the city’s approximately 12,500 trees. The city’s contractor, West Coast Arborists, has begun pruning work in residential areas. During the coming weeks, crews will move to areas on and adjacent to Sunset Boulevard, Santa Monica Boulevard, Melrose Avenue and Beverly Boulevard in both commercial and residential areas.
Each day, trimming will start at 8 a.m. and work will be finished by 3 p.m. — westbound lanes will not be affected by trimming activities until after 10 a.m. in order to minimize disruption to morning traffic.
The City will communicate to residents, businesses and motorists in advance of pruning work, using several methods:
- “No parking” signs will be placed a minimum of 24 hours in advance of work. The signs will reflect scheduled trimming activities for each day and they will be broken down into two time segments: before 12 p.m. and after 12 p.m. Parking spaces will be reopened as soon as possible after work is completed.
- Door hangers or postings on trees will be placed a minimum of 72 hours in advance of residential tree-trimming activities.
- Electronic message boards will be placed at strategic locations several days before trimming, as well as during trimming activities, in order to provide commuters with advance notice so they can plan route changes.
- Notification of trimming activity will be posted on the city’s website, on WeHoTV channels, and in the city’s social media.
For more information, please contact Scott Smith, the city’s Urban Forest and Landscape Maintenance Supervisor, at (323) 848-6463. For people who are deaf or hearing impaired, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.
Oh—-god bless everyone who has voiced my long-standing dismay at the jaw-droppingly unhelpful approach the city has to street trees. The more leaves–the more oxygen, the greater the size—the more shade for all & protection for wildlife, the more shrieking machinery—the higher our blood pressure is raised (to say nothing of the terror to whatever wildlife remains). You can tell that people in charge drive everywhere–with their air-conditioning on: Have you ever tried to stand at a bus-stop anywhere on Fairfax? Except for the stretch in front of Park LaBrea, where the blessed ficus trees create a deep green cool,… Read more »
Secret Gardner is entirely correct and her statements mirror my own observations. Conversations with the folks handling the trees and landscaping left me wondering how they acquired their positions. Anyone with the slimmest ability to observe the engineered tree loss can see that it has been an avoidable disaster.
Secret Gardner is a rich and informed resource with whom the city would be advised to communicate.
Large beautiful trees in West Hollywood seem to be unwanted by those running the city. They tore out all the beautiful ficus trees along Santa Monica Bl. except that one block by the movie studio and replaced them with the sickliest looking trees I have ever seen. And then to make matters worse the city insists on trimming them. There was a huge vibrant tree on Kings Rd. just north of Santa Monica Bl. It was in front of a vacant house that was slated to be torn down and replaced by a condo. It was removed due to a… Read more »
It’s a shame every year that the tree trimmers mutilate the beautiful trees and damage our garden and roof in the process. When I bought my property 10 years ago, the trees were full and beautiful and naturally shaped. Now they look weak and are all shaped like lollipops. The squirrels and birds have nowhere to hide and the light from other building spills into my windows at night. Thanks WEHO. Perhaps you could hire someone that understands the growth rate of these trees. Another few years of irresponsible trimming they will be dead and no longer in need of… Read more »
it’s a jobs program, folks!
Yearly trimming is wayyyy too much; not advised. Creates a woody structure, less foliage, then nasty looking tree and early death. As long as frees aren’t touching or interfering with structures, they really shouldn’t be touched.
Yes, they do trim them too often. The trees down the median of Santa Monica Blvd look terrible. I don’t know why they are so aggressive when it comes to trimming. Let them thrive a little bit before you chop!
Hesitant to point out the location but there are many mature ficus trees that actually escape bring decapitated, look the picture of health and do provide shade and other attributes to the atmosphere that the spindly palms lack. Interesting to know what the “bill” is to the city for this assault. Conscientious tree trimming is one thing, topping off to promote superficial growth that requires constant attention is another. Great gig if you can get it, plenty of revenue for ostensibly useless work for which the taxpayers continue to pay.
Just what we need, trimming HALF DEAD TREES along Santa Monica Bl. Perhaps a better idea is to chop that crap down and re-plant fichus that have provid to be more suited for our enviornment and provide the shade we were promised 15 years ago.
It would be nice if they at least “tried” to do the neighborhoods, who are already starved for street parking, on street cleaning days.