Most residents of Laguna Woods Village would agree the abundance of well-manicured trees found in the community enhance the natural beauty of the Village. But when and why to remove one of those woody perennials has been a continuing source of confusion and debate for Villagers and staff alike.
In December, The United Laguna Woods Mutual board of directors took steps to make the process smoother in its Mutual by voting unanimously to adopt the following tree removal guidelines:
Unless there is a purposeful reason, trees should not be removed merely because they are messy, or because of residents' personal preferences concerning shape, color, size or fragrance.
Trees should not be removed because of view obstruction.
Trees on slopes should not be removed if the removal will contribute to the destabilization of that slope.
Trees which are damaging or will damage a structure, pose a hazard, in failing health or interfering with neighboring trees, will be considered for removal.
Roger Turner, president of United's board of directors, said tree removal has been a challenging issue at every landscape meeting because of the volume of requests they receive from members. He hopes this resolution will make the policy clear cut. "Having a resolution that spells out the guidelines quite clearly is really good for the committee and good for the community."
Turner noted the landscape committee has followed these guidelines for some time, but this is the first time they have been documented. Third Laguna Woods Mutual adopted a similar policy in September 2011.
Professional Community Management (PCM), which oversees operations at the Village, states in its Landscape Maintenance Manual that trees are essential not only for the reduction of pollutants in the atmosphere, the production of oxygen, and to enhance the park-like appearance of the community, but also to minimize soil erosion. Their removal is not taken lightly, according to Ismael Saenz, PCM landscape manager, who said in the past five years 1,581 trees have been removed and 1,465 have been replaced.
Structural damage to Mutual property, sewer interference caused by the tree, and failing health are the most common reasons for tree removal, Saenz said. "Almost all trees removed have been replaced with a more suitable type of tree for the location. Occasionally the replacement tree is relocated to a different, more suitable spot."
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Tree removal policy no longer stumps Village landscapers