Letter Regarding Tree Protection, Privacy, and Ordinance Updates
Who to contact: https://greenredondo.com/city-contacts/
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- We do not want to lose our landscaping due to outdated ordinances that mandate extreme and excessive trimming.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.