Title
Moratorium on oak trees.
Discussion
Currently, there is no Long Beach City protection for large, old oak trees, as there exists in Los Angeles City and County, and in many other municipalities and counties throughout California.
These trees can be freely cut down or damaged beyond recovery during routine trimming and maintenance, and during construction and development, and the citizens of Long Beach could lose an irreplaceable part of their history and heritage. Hence, a moratorium is requested while the City can initiate an ordinance to protect such oak trees, those that may be of historical significance and may be of irreplaceable value to the citizens of Long Beach.
A tree preservation ordinance is contemplated as a prohibition against damaging, cutting down, or removing certain oak trees of historic significance, and such an ordinance would require a Long Beach city permit before an oak tree could be damaged or removed, on both public and private property within the City limits. This would include whenever there is a "land disturbance" (clearing for development of a subdivision and/or a single building, or digging for foundations, driveways, or utility lines, or other similar actions) that might harm such trees.
Until a final tree preservation ordinance can be enacted, including proper notice and debate, a moratorium is needed to preserve from harm the current inventory of oak trees within the City.
During the moratorium period, and as a first step toward a tree preservation ordinance, an inventory/mapping of the City of Long Beach of all oak trees should be initiated, but regardless of thi~ inventory, existing large oak trees which might be deemed potentially historic should be protected from harm while the City engages in the democratic process to enact a protective ordinance.
Timing Considerations
[Timing Considerations]
Fiscal Impact
[Fiscal Impact]
SUGGESTED ACTION
Adopt minute order requesting that the Planning Co...
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