To the editor: I share Steve Lopez's frustration with the City of Los Angeles' system (or lack thereof) for repairing sidewalks caused by street trees. But nowhere in this conversation does he address (warning: pun intended) the root cause of the problem: poor plant selection.
As anyone in the world of garden design knows, it is essential to respect the adage “right plant, right place.” In other words, don’t adopt a Rottweiler if your apartment only has room for a Shih Tzu.
Decades ago, city planners made the mistake of choosing fast-growing specimens like the Indian laurel, which develops huge root systems that raise the soil around the trunk. These beasts are only suited to large parks and open spaces where they can fulfill their genetic destiny.
This approach applies to residential gardens as well. DNA programs all living things to reach a predictable size when they mature.
Do a little research before you bring home your next plant and then shoehorn it into that 12-inch-wide strip of soil that runs along the bottom of your garage.
Billy Goodnick, Santa Barbara
The author is a landscape architect.
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To the editor: Asking property owners to repair damaged sidewalks is not a good solution.
First, the owners do not have title to the sidewalks, planted trees and adjacent curbs. All of these belong to the city in question.
Second, anyone injured by tripping on damaged sidewalks could sue the property owner for damages. A property owner has no right to restrict access to sidewalks, but could they be held liable for accidents? Not a good idea.
The city should repair sidewalks as part of its municipal maintenance program. If it cannot do so due to lack of resources, it can reimburse homeowners to hire a contractor to do the work, under the auspices of the city administration.
Dick Owen, Huntington Beach
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To the editor: Just days before Lopez’s column about the endless traffic jams and lack of resources to fix the problem of impassable and crumbling sidewalks in Los Angeles, The Times published an article about a $40 million settlement the city was forced to pay in a federal case in which it was found to have misused grants to construct buildings that were inaccessible to people with physical disabilities.
After Lopez's column was published, there was another article about $40 million in settlement payments involving the Los Angeles Police Department, which has cost the city hundreds of millions over several decades for a long list of misdeeds.
Yes, insurance covers some of these payments (and God knows what our premiums must be), but one has to wonder how great the city would be, all the wonderful things the government could accomplish if its agencies could simply follow the law and rein in abuse and corruption.
Mitch Paradise, Los Angeles
