Culver City Urban Forest Master Plan

City of Culver City, California, 2015

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master plan team CITY OF CULVER CITY

CONSULTANT TEAM

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS

ARTECHO ARCHITECTURE + LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

Charles D. Herbertson, Director Eric Mirzaian, Maintenance Operations Manager David Talavera, Urban Forester

Pamela Palmer, ASLA Catherine Burce Sonia Brenner Yoni Carnice, intern

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS, RECREATION, AND COMMUNITY SERVICES Patrick Reynolds, Parks Manager

LISA GIMMY LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS Lisa Gimmy, ASLA

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Sol Blumenfeld, Director

REGISTERED CONSULTING ARBORISTS

CITY MANAGER John Nachbar

Cy Carlberg Michael T. Mahoney Rebecca Latta

CITY COUNCIL

CONSULTING ECOLOGIST

Micheál O’Leary, Andrew Weissman, Jim B. Clarke, Jeffrey Cooper, Meghan Sahli-Wells

Daniel Cooper

acknowledgements The Consultant Team would like to thank Don Hodel, Environmental Horticulture Advisor with UC Cooperative Extension, Los Angeles County, for his valuable input into the tree palette for Culver City. The Team would also like to thank Dr. Igor Lacan, Urban Forestry Advisor, University of California Extension, for generously contributing his expertise in pest vulnerability of tree species.

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table of contents 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND MISSION STATEMENT 2 INTRODUCTION

Background + Process Coordination with Related City Documents What Is the Urban Forest?

3 CULVER CITY’S URBAN FOREST

Culver City’s Urban Forest Heritage Culver City Landscape and Ecology Overview of the Urban Forest Special Topic: Water and the Urban Forest Community Views of the Urban Forest Summary: Strengths And Challenges In The Urban Forest

4 RECOMMENDATIONS Recommendations Overview

Vision: Green Connections The Ecological Framework Places of Priority Wayfinding and Placemaking Tree Palette Tree Designations: the Process Strategies for Tree Well Paving and Size Strategies for Increasing Planting Space Recommendations Framework

5 APPENDICES

for residents for City for both



7 10 11 12 20 30 33 48 52 57

60 61 62 64 67 71 75 84 85 86

A. Urban Trees 101 102 B. Caring for a Parkway Tree 104 C. Before Requesting Tree Removal 105 D. Requesting Tree Removal 106 E. Community Resources 107 F. Tree Palette 108 G. Tree Designations 109 H. Companion Species for Common Trees 124 I. Pest Vulnerability Matrix 128 J. Tree Management Guidelines for Culver City 135 K. Additional Mapping 163 L. Urban Forest Survey 170 M. Works Cited 171 N. Glossary 173

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C h a p t e r 1 - E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y + M I S S I O N S TAT E M E N T

1 executive summary This Master Plan reflects the commitment of the entire Culver City community to foster a robust and resilient urban forest today and for the future. As the ecosystem of plants and people in the city, the urban forest affects each of our lives directly. It offers important environmental and social benefits, and enhances the character of the streets, neighborhoods, and public places in the City. Culver City has inherited an extensive, beautiful urban forest from previous generations; many current residents were originally drawn to Culver City or selected their home because of the City’s majestic, mature tree canopy. In recent years, the City has renewed its commitment to shaping a vibrant, healthy, and sustainable urban environment for its residents, workers, and visitors. The Urban Forest Master Plan is an impo