A protected Torrey pine toppled onto a Del Mar home, and neighbors want the city to make it easier to remove dangerous trees before another one falls.

Ocean View Avenue residents Sean Wheatley and Kathy Ng told the Del Mar City Council at its Wednesday, Aug. 26 meeting that the city's tree-removal rules left them powerless to act even as the pines threatened their homes and knocked out power lines. Councilmember Dan Quirk responded by directing City Manager Ashley Jones to place the issue on a future agenda for formal discussion.

Wheatley said a large Torrey pine from a neighboring property recently crashed onto his home. The tree had been assessed by arborists and deemed healthy.

"I've been concerned about these (Torrey pines) trees for years … In this neighborhood, they are grey, brown; I don't think they're healthy, and I think it's a risk to our community," Wheatley told the council, according to The Coast News.

Ng documented three Torrey pines that have toppled along Ocean View in the past four years. Two brought down power lines. She told the council the trees fell not because of disease but because of soft soil and the species' shallow root structure. Photos showed the intact tree lying on its side with its root ball pulled from the ground.

Ng said another Torrey pine hangs over her bedroom and her home sits entirely within its fall radius. She urged the council to hire an independent arborist and authorize immediate removal before winter storms arrive.

Brian Douglas, who owns the property where the fallen tree stood, said he hired multiple arborists after purchasing the property a few years ago. None recommended removal because the tree appeared healthy.

Jones said current city regulations allow a permit to remove a protected tree species only with a recommendation from a certified arborist. The Torrey pine is one of North America's most endangered trees, growing naturally only in San Diego and Monterey counties and on Santa Rosa Island.

Community Development Director Karen Brindley noted that an imminent danger can override the permitting process.

Mayor Tracy Martinez said the property damage was significant and that "harm to a person would be a whole other level."

Jones also questioned whether the city's requirement to replace removed trees remains the best approach in areas with high fire danger.

Because the issue arose during public comment and was not agendized, the Brown Act, a state open-meetings law, barred further council discussion. Quirk asked Jones to bring the matter back on a future agenda so the council can consider revising its tree-removal regulations. No date has been set.

Council approves $1.25M lagoon contract

In other action, the council approved a $1.25 million contract with Encinitas-based Dudek to complete engineering design and permitting for the San Dieguito Lagoon Shoreline Protection Planning Project. Roughly $1 million will come from a state grant.

Jones told the council that using the grant for the study would not obligate the city to proceed with the full project. She said the work would also help staff determine the project's total cost.

The council on July 7 separately authorized staff to apply for $1,031,000 in federal funds from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for the same lagoon project, according to the city's July 7 meeting agenda.

The council also met in closed session before the regular meeting to discuss the 22nd District Agricultural Association's Aug. 18 vote to terminate an exclusive negotiating agreement with the city over affordable housing on fairgrounds property, and ongoing litigation involving local property owner Carol Lazier and her proposed Seaside Ridge housing development. City Attorney Christina Cameron said the council took no reportable action.