Whittier will move forward with razing 83 ficus trees as part of a redesign of its commercial center despite an outpouring of opposition to the plan. On Tuesday night, City Council members voted 3 to 1 to proceed with a $20-million redevelopment project in Uptown Whittier that requires the removal of all the ficus trees in the three-block project area. The decision followed months of public outcry over the fate of the trees after the mid-December approval of the Greenleaf Promenade .
The project is touted as a means to make the area more pedestrian-friendly and infuse financial life into the area, but some residents believe sacrificing the towering trees — with their cooling canopy and majestic appearance — isn’t a reasonable trade-off. City leaders said they ultimately saw promise in the refresh, while pointing to potential health and safety issues posed by the trees. “I’m looking forward to revitalize Uptown with new trees, new architecture, new lighting, new pavement — that I think we can all be proud of,” Councilmember Fernando Dutra said before voting in support of the project.
Mary Ann Pacheco , a recent addition to the council, cast the lone opposition vote. She said the plan suffered from bad optics, which could potentially be resolved by overhauling the planning process. “The perception in the city is that it was done wrong, and that it was done for the wrong reasons,” she said.
“I’m not going to say it was, but until that real issue is dealt wi.