Developer, Community to Talk About Trees Thursday at Taix

The developer planning to build 15 homes on three acres on the northern edge of Elysian Heights wants to talk about trees with community members at 6 p.m. Thursday at

Plans for the site have included removing 43 live oak and black walnut trees, protected under city law.

Planet Home Living has called the meeting, which will include architect Derek Leavitt and arborist Jan Scow, as well as a landscape architect and a soils expert.

Residents who live near the parcel at 2400 Allesandro are particularly encouraged to attend.

According to a memo from Council District 13's office, the conversation will focus on the trees and "whether any further mitigation" can occur.

Tension around the project escalated recently after the developer was scheduled to request permission to remove the trees from the city’s Board of Public Works as required by the protected tree ordinance.

The board put off hearing the issue at its recent meeting, postponing the matter until at least September 28.

According to the EastsiderLA, funding has yet to be fully secured for the project, but the first homes are hoped to be completed by next summer.

Some activists worry that in removing the protected trees a number of unprotected trees will also be leveled, seriously impacting the environment around the area.