The Weekly Newspaper of El Segundo Herald Publications - El Segundo, Torrance, Manhattan Beach, Hawthorne, Lawndale, & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 104, No. 41 - October 8, 2015 Inside This Issue Certified & Licensed Professionals.....................16 Classifieds............................4 Crossword/Sudoku.............4 Film Review..........................4 Legals............................ 14,15 Pets......................................18 Police Reports.....................3 Real Estate.....................9-13 Sports....................................5 Weekend Forecast LAX Volunteer Is 95 Years Young Richard “Dick” Stout, a Volunteer Information Professional (VIP) volunteer, will celebrate his 95th birthday doing what he enjoys most -- assisting guests at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)! Dick is one of 300 volunteers who are the frontline staff dedicated to enhancing the guest experience at LAX, one of the world’s busiest airports. A volunteer for 16 years, Dick has volunteered more than 8,700 hours to date! In 2014 alone, he volunteered for 500 hours in Terminals 2, 4, and 5. Photo by Monique Bell. Friday Sunny 89˚/72˚ Saturday Sunny 91˚/70˚ Sunday Sunny 85˚/70˚ Council Approves New Tree Plan for Richmond Street Rehabilitation By Brian Simon On Tuesday night, the El Segundo City Council directed staff to move forward with proposed landscaping recommendations for the upcoming Richmond Street rehabilitation project. The design/layout for the 100 to 300 blocks (approved by the Council in July) will include widening the street from 40 to 46 feet and narrowing most of the sidewalks from 10 to seven feet. Discussions over three recent meetings involving the Richmond Street Subcommittee (Mayor Pro Tem Carl Jacobson and Councilmember Dave Atkinson), Public Works and Recreation and Parks staff, consultants, area stakeholders and the general public yielded recommendations on which types of trees are most ideal to replace the longstanding ficuses that have wreaked havoc on Downtown sidewalks. Ultimately, staff settled on two species—the Strawberry Tree and King Palm--based on the criteria that both have non-invasive root systems, remain green year-round, have minimal or no blooming flowers, and will grow to a nice canopy but not to such a height as to infringe on buildings. Public Works Director Stephanie Katsouleas pointed out that while there was no single tree that fulfilled all the City’s needs, the Strawberry Tree was thought to be the best fit among the candidates from the local palette. She characterized the King Palm as a good balance that is “distinctly different,” with a “Southern California beachy feel that we think would represent El Segundo well.” The trees will grow to 25-50 feet when reaching full maturity at 15 years old. The current plan is to incorporate and alternate 33 Strawberry Trees and 26 King Palms throughout the three blocks, with low-level shrubbery added to complement the streetscape and provide ambience. Katsouleas noted that the King Palms will be used as “gateway” trees at the beginning of each of the blocks. Actual tree spacing will depend on field conditions, but will average between 30 and 50 feet apart. Crews will plant trees on the west side of the street in triangle cut-outs using available parking stall spaces. They will place east side trees within the sidewalk areas. The choice of species did not sit well with Tree Musketeers Executive Director Gail Church, who expressed concerns about the Richmond Street plan. She reminded the Council that Tree Musketeers stood behind the City in 2002 in the decision to remove the ficus trees on Main Street and replace those with suitable varietals because the organization believed it was “the right thing to do.” But Church emphasized that Tree Musketeers does not feel the same way about Richmond. She argued that any street plan should have at least three species to avoid the possibility of disease or infestation wiping out all the trees. She also thought the City should get its money’s worth by installing trees of larger stature that will eventually canopy over buildings and create visibility—versus Strawberry Trees that “will forever block the fronts of buildings.” Church offered the California Sycamore (El Segundo’s official tree) as a preferable option and added that this species is also more environmentally beneficial. She also recommended the use of structural soil as a way to allow large trees to thrive in a compacted pavement area. Katsouleas confirmed that staff did consider three species, but felt the two chosen best meet the City’s needs and are the “clear-cut winners” compared to any other options. The California Sycamore did not pass muster due to its large size (given the narrow sidewalks) and because it sheds leaves excessively. Councilmember Mike Dugan was the lone dissenting vote, as he felt inclined to look into other species per Church’s suggestion. He also mentioned receiving a great deal of negative feedback from people in Richmond’s 300 block about the impacts of the project on the residential (north) portion of the block. Dugan suggested moving the transition line 100 to 200 feet further south. However, the Council had already previously approved the project down to Holly Street and Mayor Suzanne Fuentes said that she did not wish to revisit the matter. Meanwhile, the Council held off a decision until November 3 on street lighting options to allow staff to conduct a test run of a solar pedestrian fixture on the 100 block of Richmond to see how it performs. Several members of the Council indicated a preference for the quaint look of the pedestrian lighting (as opposed to just replacing the existing marbelite poles), but want to be sure it is cost-effective and durable. Under the proposal and if eventually approved, crews See City Council, page 17
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