It appeared that the fate of towering ficus trees rooted along a three-block stretch of Whittier’s commercial center was sealed. City Council members in December voted to approve a redesign of the area that would rip out all 83 trees. Then came the outcry.
Residents turned out en masse at subsequent meetings, held a rally and circulated a petition to protest removing the trees in one fell swoop. And it appears the public pressure is working. City officials this month will hold a “study session” — their third since the approval of the $20-million Greenleaf Promenade — examining the plan for the trees and other elements of the project.
Some see the trees as synonymous with the character of the quiet community nestled in eastern Los Angeles County, and praise them for providing shade and gobbling greenhouse gases in a warming world. Others blame the nonnative trees for lifting sidewalks and clogging sewer lines with their roots, or are willing to sacrifice the trees to break ground on a project they believe will bring economic vitality. According to city officials, construction elements, such as required grading, make it impossible to save any of the ficus trees.
Some other types of trees that line the street may be salvaged, officials said. The debate over the trees has divided the community, pitting some business owners against residents — and against one another. A late-April meeting at times turned ugly, with about 80 public speakers passionately expressing confl.