WEST HOLLYWOOD—There are around 12,500 trees in West Hollywood and their maintenance and care marks the start of West Hollywood’s Annual Tree Pruning, according to a press release from Joshua Schare, Public Information Officer for the city of West Hollywood. The annual tree pruning will begin on Wednesday, September 7 and is expected to continue through February 2017.

“We have an annual program for the Palms that addresses the aesthetics by removing brown fronds and helps to minimize safety concerns with the potential for those fronds dropping,” Scott Smith, City of West Hollywood’s Urban Forest and Landscape Maintenance Supervisor, told Canyon News in an email. “Other trees are trimmed annually for similar reasons including helping to develop a strong and safe structure of the tree.”

West Coast Arborists, the West Hollywood contractor, will begin the work of pruning the trees along Sunset Boulevard. The work will continue in other commercial areas including Beverly Boulevard, Santa Monica Boulevard and other arterial streets. After the trees in the commercial areas have been trimmed the work will begin on residential streets.

Each day the work on the trees will begin at 8 a.m. and end at 3 p.m. The westbound lanes will not be affected until after 10 a.m. This is done in an effort to minimize the disruption of morning traffic. The work on Sunset Boulevard is expected to be completed on September 8, Smith told Canyon News. In advance of pruning work the city of West Hollywood will communicate with residents, businesses and motorists using one of the following methods:

  • “No parking” signs will be placed a minimum of 24 hours in advance of work. The signs will reflect scheduled trimming activities for each day and they will be broken down into two time segments: before 12 p.m. and after 12 p.m. Parking spaces will be reopened as soon as possible after work is completed.
  • Door hangers or postings on trees will be placed a minimum of 72 hours in advance of residential tree-trimming activities.
  • Electronic message boards will be placed at strategic locations several days before trimming, as well as during trimming activities, in order to provide commuters with advance notice so they can plan route changes.
  • Notification of trimming activity will be posted on the City’s website, on WeHoTV channels, and in the City’s social media.

“Currently the City of West Hollywood has an annual trimming program for our business districts along with the City Ficus trees and Palm trees…which are also trimmed annually,” Smith told Canyon News. “We have a three year pruning Cycle for all city street trees and a bi- annual trimming cycle for all City Park Trees.”

Anyone wanting more information can contact Scott Smith, City of West Hollywood’s Urban Forest and Landscape Maintenance Supervisor, at (323) 848-6463 or through email at ssmith@weho.org. Anyone who is deaf or hearing impaired can call TTY (323) 848-6496.