As part of the Sidewalks LA Repair Program and to bring our sidewalks into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) the city is evaluating our parkway trees. If a tree is determined to be dead or dying (with no prospect of recovery), or if the tree is tearing up the sidewalk such that the sidewalk isn’t accessible and there is no safe way to trim the tree’s roots, the city will initiate the process for removing the tree. As part of this process the tree is evaluated by a city arborist, the Department of Historic Resources and the HPOZ Board review the analysis, the Council Office consults with the Association and the Association has our arborist do a second evaluation. This is to ensure that every possible effort will be taken to save the tree. If a tree must be removed it will be replaced.

There has been some misunderstanding recently that the City is engaged in wholesale tree removal without review or input and that’s not the case. Last year, in the process of doing much needed tree trimming, the City took it upon themselves to cut down trees that many of us believed were salvageable. The Association, the Council Office, the Department of Historic Resources and the HPOZ Board, and the City’s Department of Urban Forestry have worked together to develop a process where no parkway tree is removed unless it is unavoidable for safety reasons.

If you do know of a dangerous sidewalk and want an immediate repair or if you’re disabled and there is a broken sidewalk call 311 or file a request at the Safe Sidewalks LA website – http://sidewalks.lacity.org/

So, if you plan to change your landscaping or make changes to the exterior of your house please contact our City Planner, Kimberly Henry (kimberly.henry@lacity.org) to make sure your plans comply with our Preservation Plan. The HPOZ Preservation Plan, which regulates our HPOZ can be found at http://www.preservation.lacity.org/hpoz/la/hancock-park. There is also an online form you can fill out to help speed up the process: http://preservation.lacity.org/hpoz/initial.screening.checklist

Unfortunately, crime continues to be a problem so be sure and lock your car, secure your house and, if you are the unfortunate victim of a crime, be sure and file a police report by contacting Officer Dave Cordova. Call his cell phone, 213-793-0650 or send him an email, 31646@lapd.lacity.org with all the information, including your name and telephone number. 

Report graffiti sightings by calling 311 or at the City’s Anti-Graffiti Request System – http://anti-graffiti.lacity.org/welcome.cfm?CFID=1007&CFTOKEN=411CDB4F-0FC3-4EE1-89DE58DCCB435538 and by calling Hollywood Beautification, 323-463-5180.