West Covina Moves to Require City Permit to Cut Down Trees
WEST COVINA — Last May, a developer mowed down 30 oak trees along Oak Canyon Road. The City Council wants to make sure that it doesn’t happen again.
The council gave preliminary approval Monday to an ordinance requiring permits for removing or pruning most trees. The final vote will be Nov. 12.
The new law would require a resident to get a permit from the city to remove a tree whose trunk is at least one foot in diameter in a front yard or side yard facing the street. In addition, the tree would have to be relocated or replaced.
Even stricter rules would apply to oak and sycamore trees: Permits would be required to remove or prune trees whose trunks are at least six inches in diameter.
The new law would stop developers from cutting down historic trees, said Tina Daniels, former president of the West Covina Historical Society.
If adopted, it would replace a citywide moratorium that has prohibited removal of oak, walnut, sycamore and pepper trees since the May incident.
Pat Haley, West Covina’s planning director, said the ordinance provides that violators can be fined up to $1,000 or sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, or both.
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