Welcome to my website. My name is Andre Leroux. I am a lifetime Redondo Beach resident. I am an advocate for the environment but do not work for any environmental groups.

The purpose of this website is to bring attention to a problem which is escalating. The City of Redondo Beach is charging me for violating their anti-tree ordinance/law. This law is on the books but it is dormant and never enforced until there is a disgruntled neighbor. After doing some research, I have discovered estimated over 30% of properties in Redondo Beach are affected by this ordinance. Massive enforcement of this ordinance will cause the City of Redondo Beach to lose over 30% of their mature trees.

On June 17, I responded to the City of Redondo Beach’s code enforcement letter, I requested a call so I can understand their complaint and discuss how we can resolve. Without any response to my letter, I just received yesterday a Notice of Arrangement as the City of Redondo Beach filed a criminal complaint against me for my trees.

I have reached out to code enforcement via certified US mail to have a discussion. Their response was this Notice of Arraignment. On 7/21/2024, I sent an email to the City Manager, mayor, and all council members to have a discussion about this matter. I have never received any response from them. This week I reached out to the city prosecutor but they refused to meet with me. The City of Redondo Beach does not want to resolve this matter. Zero communication from them. They just want to pursue charging me with this ordinance infraction.

On Monday 7/29/2024, I went to the Torrance Superior Courthouse to get a copy of the complaint. Spoke with the county clerk and they stated it was not filed yet and they have up to a year to file it. I did not understand how they can have an arraignment without a filing. They suggested to go to the City of Redondo Beach police department to talk with them. I drove over the the RBPD and requested a copy of the file. They stated they would contact me when it was available. As of today 8/3/2024, I have not received any call from them. Considering my arraignment date is on Monday 8/5/2024, it seems extremely odd to me.

If you have hedges, this CAN happen to you!  There are over 30% of properties in Redondo Beach which are directly affected.  This is WHY it is imperative we act now to save our trees!

Enforcement of these dormant, outdated ordinances, will cause us to lose an estimated over 30% of our trees, our hedges, our privacy, and create a massive environmental impact.  One of the primary reasons the City was designated as Tree City USA was because of our trees and because of their lack of enforcement of these dormant law.  We need to get the word out there and change these laws.

Call to action!

• Watch and share this 1 hour podcast about local issues in Redondo Beach including the issues about our local trees, hedges, and street sweeping. Click here to watch.
• Talk with your neighbors.
• Help me advocate for change.  If anyone is an attorney, knows of an attorney or wants to help, email me at Andre@GreenRedondo.com.
• Print a flyer and pass it to your neighbors: https://greenredondo.com/flyer.pdf
• Write to our council members and mayor: https://greenredondo.com/city-contacts/   (jim.light@redondo.org, Nils.Nehrenheim@redondo.org, todd.loewenstein@redondo.org, paige.kaluderovic@redondo.org, zein.obagi@redondo.org, scott.behrendt@redondo.org, Mike.Witzansky@redondo.org)

Sample Letter – Letter Regarding Tree Protection, Privacy, and Ordinance Updates

The City of Redondo Beach currently has no comprehensive tree ordinances that regulate the size, species, or height of healthy trees. As a result, there are insufficient protections in place to preserve our existing tree canopy, hedges, and established landscaping—resources that are increasingly vital in a city dominated by concrete, asphalt, and ever‑denser development.

Redondo Beach is officially recognized as a “Tree City USA,” a designation earned in large part because of the historic abundance of trees throughout our community. However, the enforcement of ordinance § 10‑2.1524 threatens to undermine this status. Based on current interpretations and enforcement practices, residents could be forced to remove or excessively trim an estimated 30% or more of their existing, mature trees. This outcome directly contradicts the values and standards associated with the Tree City USA designation.

• We do not want to lose our trees.
• We do not want to lose our hedges.
• We do not want to lose our landscaping due to outdated ordinances that mandate extreme and excessive trimming.

These laws must be updated to reflect the current reality of Redondo Beach. Over time, zoning and land‑use policies have evolved to allow two and three single‑family residences on parcels that once supported only one. Our neighborhoods are significantly more dense today than when these height and trimming restrictions were originally conceived. As density increases, the need for trees, privacy buffers, shade, and natural screening increases—not decreases.

We respectfully request the following changes:

• Removal of the word “hedges” from height‑limit regulations
• Grandfathering of existing trees, hedges, shrubs, and bushes
• A comprehensive update to tree‑related ordinances to reflect current neighborhood density, environmental needs, and community character

Additionally, the current structure of these ordinances has the unintended consequence of pitting neighbors against one another. In practice, these regulations are often unenforced unless and until a private dispute arises, at which point they are selectively invoked through complaint‑driven enforcement. This approach creates inconsistency, inequity, and unnecessary conflict within neighborhoods.

Ordinances that significantly affect property rights, privacy, and environmental resources should not function as tools in neighbor disputes. Such laws should either be clearly defined and uniformly enforced citywide, or thoughtfully revised or removed from the municipal code altogether. Selective or reactive enforcement undermines neighborhood harmony, public trust, and the City’s stated environmental objectives.

Tree protection and preservation are necessary for the health, safety, and welfare of the City. Trees are an essential aesthetic resource that helps define the character of Redondo Beach while providing substantial social, economic, and environmental benefits. They preserve scenic beauty, prevent soil erosion, provide shade and wind protection, serve as natural buffers between adjacent properties, mitigate noise, and counteract air pollution.

It is pertinent to public peace, harmony, and welfare that trees be protected from indiscriminate cutting or removal—especially mature, established trees that cannot be easily or quickly replaced. Trees also have a measurable positive economic impact, enhancing property values and making Redondo Beach a more desirable place to live, visit, and do business.

• We are for the environment.
• We are for privacy.
• We are for nature.

And we are for the increased property values and improved quality of life that trees, hedges, shrubs, and landscaping bring to our neighborhoods.

To maintain our Tree City USA status, preserve community character, and responsibly manage growth, Redondo Beach must modernize its tree ordinances. Preservation—not elimination—of our urban canopy is essential to ensuring a cooler, healthier, more livable city for current and future generations.