City, property manager deny overzealous pruning of pine trees

WILL THEY SURVIVE?--Trees on the corner of Erbes Road and Avenida de Los Arboles were trimmed so aggressively that it makes you wonder if they feel embarrassed about their "near nudity." NANCY NEEDHAM/Acorn Newspapers

So far, no one is taking credit for having the large pine trees trimmed on Avenida de Los Arboles near Erbes Road.

"Those are not city trees and that is not the type of pruning practice the city would do," said Hans Faber, landscape maintenance supervisor.

What makes it different from what the city would do, he said, is that it was such a bad job and doesn't follow guidelines of the International Society of Arboriculture.

"We follow ISA pruning standards and don't top any tree," Faber said.

Also, those trees weren't on city property, so he's sure the city didn't trim them. There are no power lines involved with those trees, so the utility company would have no reason to cut them.

"Those trees are on private property," Faber said.

"We have not authorized or paid for any tree trimming for our property in that area," said property manager Mike Danisqewski of CB Richard Ellis, the property management company for Vons athe Oakbrook Shopping Center.

Another property management company, which oversees the Blockbuster retail section of the shopping center, hasn't yet responded to phone calls about the trees.

- Nancy Needham