Manhattan Beach resident wants to save ancient pine tree in neighborhood

Paul Sterba has lived at his Manhattan Beach home on 27th Street for more than 40 years. One of the main reasons he chose that particular house, he said, is the pine tree in front of it.

Sterba said he thinks the tree is at least 100 years old and could be 150 years old, which would mean it’s been around well before Manhattan Beach was even a city.

“I cant fit my arms around it, it’s so big,” Sterba said. “It doesn’t get that size in 10 or 15 years; and, an arborist years ago told me it was a very old tree.

But an upcoming street fix right outside of Sterba’s longtime dwelling could kill the ancient tree in the east corner of his lot, he said — though city officials say they’re doing everything they can to protect it.

Manhattan Beach resident Paul Sterba is trying to get the city of Manhattan Beach to not remove more roots of a more than 100-year-old pine tree in front of his house to repair the street where the tree roots are breaking the road.in Manhattan Beach on Friday, June 2, 2023. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

Manhattan Beach resident Paul Sterba is trying to get the city of Manhattan Beach to not remove more roots of a more than 100-year-old pine tree in front of his house to repair the street where the tree roots are breaking the road.in Manhattan Beach on Friday, June 2, 2023. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

Manhattan Beach resident Paul Sterba is trying to get the city of Manhattan Beach to not remove more roots of a more than 100-year-old pine tree in front of his house to repair the street where the tree roots are breaking the road.in Manhattan Beach on Friday, June 2, 2023. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

Manhattan Beach resident Paul Sterba is trying to get the city of Manhattan Beach to not remove more roots of a more than 100-year-old pine tree in front of his house to repair the street where the tree roots are breaking the road.in Manhattan Beach on Friday, June 2, 2023. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

Manhattan Beach resident Paul Sterba is trying to get the city of Manhattan Beach to not remove more roots of a more than 100-year-old pine tree in front of his house to repair the street where the tree roots are breaking the road.in Manhattan Beach on Friday, June 2, 2023. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

Manhattan Beach will soon remove damaged asphalt around the tree, cut out the roots that have grown up to crack the pavement and repair the street, city spokesperson Alexandria Latragna said.

While the city did not give an exact date for when the work will begin, it’s expected to happen this month.

City staff inspected the root intrusion at the site after hearing reports of a pothole there in December, she added.

The roadwork, Latranga said, is part of routine safety maintenance and will ensure that tree roots are as minimally impacted as possible. The city, she added, has regulations that strive to protect trees within the community and follows the Tree Care Industry Association’s national standard for tree care operations.

But even though the tree isn’t being completely dug up, Sterba said, it could ultimately die from the root removal because it will no longer be able to get enough water.

“It really adds a lot of beauty to the lot,” Sterba said. “This is the tree section (of Manhattan Beach) — trees are supposed to be preserved.”

Manhattan Beach had already cut out some of the tree’s roots in the past few years to make room for a driveway at a newly constructed house next door to his, Sterba said.

That caused some of the tree’s lower limbs to die, Sterba added, so he got them cut off to keep the tree healthy. But that health likely won’t last once another of its roots is taken out, he said.

“That tree lost several limbs, but is still surviving with the big root it has going down the street,” Sterba said. “If they remove that root, the tree is going to die; it’s not going to get enough water and nutrients.”

Sterba reached out to the city last month after seeing white markings on the ground around the tree that indicate the upcoming road repaving. He suggested the city instead bury the root and install a small grate near it so that rain water and sprinkler overflow can drain down to the tree.

Community Development Director Talyn Mirzakhanian wrote in an email to Sterba, which the Daily Breeze obtained, that the Public Works Department considered his solution. But putting a grate in wouldn’t comply with the city’s road construction safety regulations, the email said.

The city also talked to Ernest Area, a certified arborist and the city’s urban forester. And nothing could be done at this point to reverse the city’s plans, Mirzakhanian wrote.

Although the tree sits on Sterba’s property, no one asked his permission to do anything to the tree or informed him of the work, the homeowner said.

The city has a long tradition of notifying and consulting with adjacent and impacted residents before performing work in the public right-of-way, said Public Works Director Erick Lee. Specifically in this case, Lee added, staff has had extensive contact with the homeowner about these issues and the city’s plans to repair the roadway.

Still, Sterba continues advocating for the tree and urging Manhattan Beach to reconsider an amicable path forward that keeps the tree and the street safe.

He last reached out to the city earlier this week, asking it study how to best protect the tree and provide an acceptable street surface for the public alongside residents in the immediate vicinity of the tree.

“Let’s take appropriate action to preserve this tree,” Sterba said, “Not kill it.”

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