Trees in the median near La Salle High School (Photo – Colorado Boulevard Newspaper)
The Pasadena City Council has approved the Sierra Madre Boulevard Median Enhancement Project, which calls for the removal of 44 mature trees along the project corridor.
By News Desk
According to the city, the project is intended to improve stormwater capture through green infrastructure. Construction is scheduled to begin in late summer 2026.
Before the council’s vote, residents and community members raised questions about the project’s compliance with Pasadena’s Tree Protection Ordinance, wildfire considerations, and the scope of the environmental review.
Several residents questioned whether the project applies the same tree preservation standards used in other city projects. They also raised concerns about the removal of mature trees and the loss of their environmental benefits, noting that replacement plantings may take years to provide comparable canopy coverage.
Opponents also questioned the interpretation and application of Pasadena Municipal Code Chapter 8.52, potential wildfire risks associated with the proposed vegetation design in an area affected by Santa Ana winds, and whether additional review by the Pasadena Fire Department or further analysis under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) should have been completed before the project was approved.
According to project plans, the 44 removed trees will be replaced with more than 700 new plantings. Supporters of preserving more of the existing trees argued that alternative design approaches—such as narrower bioswales, expanded root protection areas, or different plant selections—could have reduced tree removal while still meeting the project’s stormwater management goals.
The Sierra Madre Boulevard Median Enhancement Project extends from Michillinda Avenue to East Washington Boulevard. It is funded primarily through Measure W and Caltrans grants, with construction expected to begin in late summer 2026.
Pasadena has struggled to capture rain water runoff. These projects are very important to our continued self reliance on our water. We need to be responsible water capturers instead of taking Northern California water for granted. I think 90% of rainwater washes all the oils and trash to the storm drains, then out to sea. This project seems like a fair trade. If it’s really just the median, which is not planted in a very thoughtful way, or beautifully maintained to begin with, and seems to host few native trees, then couldn’t there be a net gain? We always give something up to gain something better.
All trees are important and should never be be removed unless a Certified Arbotist determines hazardous or dead
What is your house built with?
Some of those are Heritage Trees, gifts from our sister cities! All of them are important!
Why is it okay for the city to remove trees when they are “fighting” with PUSD? It seems hypocritical.
Washington bl is not east of Michillinda it is west………….