Palm Springs delays palm tree trimming plan after public pushback

Strong public opposition led the Palm Springs City Council to delay voting on a new policy that would allow city crews to trim the "skirts" of palm trees in the public right-of-way.

During Tuesday's meeting, the council postponed an ordinance that could have altered the look of many trees throughout Palm Springs. Mayor Jeffrey Bernstein cited dozens of public comments opposing the proposal when he moved to discuss the item at a future meeting.

What does the new ordinance say?

Currently, a city ordinance restricts the trimming of fronds from palm trees located in the public right-of-way, a legal term typically referring to areas where public streets or sidewalks are located. The city has only been removing fruit pods while trimming fronds 12 feet and lower.

The new policy would allow maintenance workers to completely remove the "skirts" and trim the trunks of California and Mexican fan palms. The palm trees in the Downtown Park would be excluded from the ordinance, remaining in their natural state.

According to a memorandum provided to the city council, Palm Springs contains around 3,900 California fan palms, 140 of which reside in the Downtown Park.

Why does the city want to trim palm fronds?

Safety. According to the city memo, the risk of palm fronds becoming dislodged during high wind events necessitates the trimming of the trees.

What does the public think about the proposal?

Palm Springs residents contributed dozens of public comments prior to Tuesday's meeting. Many of the comments urged councilmembers to hold off on adopting a new trimming policy. Concern for bird habitat as well as the aesthetic of downtown Palm Springs were common themes of the comments.

"They add so much charm and ambience to a stroll down Palm Canyon," Michelle Palladine said in a comment. "I’ve been here over 40 years and I’ve always loved this look."

Ray Nocera said in a comment, "Do NOT leave us skirtless!"

The board of the Oswit Land Trust conservation group chimed in, saying owls and bats roost in the skirts and hooded orioles use the dry fibers of the palm fronds to build hanging nests.

"Our wildlife needs these trees and their iconic skirts to find a cooler place to escape from the excessive heat of our summers," the board said in a comment. "Imagine 124 degrees without air conditioning."

What happens now?

Nothing changes for now. The city council will take up the issue in the future.

If the ordinance is approved, officials plan to start trimming the palm trees in groups of 500, starting with the most populous areas of the city. Downtown will be targeted first, followed by the airport, parks, medians and parkways and city districts.

Sam Morgen covers the city of Palm Springs for The Desert Sun. Reach him at smorgen@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Palm Springs delays palm tree trimming plan after public pushback