CORONADO, Calif. — In San Diego County Superior Court Friday, Judge Mangione granted a preliminary injunction, barring the City of Coronado from removing five pine trees until the litigation process plays out.
“If the city were to do something now that would cause harm to the trees or cause the trees to die or be removed, those trees aren’t coming back,” said environment attorney Bryan Pease in court. “The city did not do a negative impact report, they did not even do a mitigated negative impact report. They simply declared themselves categorically exempt from CEQA.”
In September, the trees were slated for removal until a lawsuit was filed and a temporary restraining order put in place by the judge, temporarily thwarting the City’s plans to cut down the beloved trees.
Four Canary Island Pines lining D Avenue, as well as one Torrey Pine nearby, are at the root of the dispute. The Coronado Lawn Bowling Club, which has 100 members, leases a space for their playing field behind the public library. They think tree roots are damaging the sub-surface underneath the artificial turf.
“We have noticed over the past few years naturally, the uprooting of our green from mushrooms, so that’s an issue that the roots of the trees are creating,” said Michael Lane, president of Coronado Lawn Bowling Club. “The longer we have to go with the destruction, the more damage to the sub-surface that will be created.”
In court Friday, both sides argued whether the entire turf replacement project should be put on hold or not.
“This project is not just about the trees, it’s about the replacement of the lawn bowling green, so that includes doing some drainage work, there’s some digging for seismic bore holing, there’s just some work that’s unrelated to the trees,” said the defense attorney representing the City of Coronado.
After Judge Mangione granted the preliminary injunction, plaintiffs Mary Beth Milliken, Shannon Player, and Catherine Mott gathered outside the courtroom with a handful of other Coronado residents.
“I am walking on air, I’m very, very happy,” said Milliken, wearing a huge smile. “The trees are beautiful and they’re giving us so much and they’ve been there for so long, and to say, ‘Well, we’re just going to cut them down, we’ll get new trees,’ it hurts my heart.”
The city confirmed with CBS 8 that any plans for removal have been put on pause for now.
“They’ve already removed a lot of other trees on the street adjacent, so at some point you just have to say, ‘Stop,’ said Coronado resident Angela Culbertson.
The final hearing on this case will likely take place early next year, but the exact date is yet to be determined.
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