Council approves High Street pepper tree maintenance plan
By Sylvie Belmond belmond@theacorn.com

A three-year dispute between the city and a pair of business owners in downtown Moorpark is finally resolved. The City Council voted 4-0 last week, with Mayor Patrick Hunter absent, to set up a maintenance plan for the historic pepper trees along High Street.

Will and Dale Whitaker, owners of Whitaker Hardware on High Street, filed a temporary restraining order in March 2004 to halt removal of five pepper trees along the street. At that time, the brothers said they wanted the city to recognize the historic status of the entire stand of California pepper trees, designated by Ventura County as Historical Landmark No. 72.

They also wanted officials to comply with the California Environmental Quality Act and properly follow its guidelines. A judge ruled in favor of that request.

The city has been trying to put together a plan to maintain the trees since 2004, but the lawsuit stalled the process, according to Councilmember Keith Millhouse.

Now that the CEQA process is completed, the city is ready to implement a long-term plan for the upkeep of the trees.

"People were incorrectly saying we wanted to remove all the pepper trees, but that wasn't true," said Millhouse. "They're an integral part of High Street but hazards needed to be addressed. The trees had developed deficiencies which the city arborist said made them dangerous."

"We value those trees because they add character in this community," he said.

The plan mandates that if pepper trees are removed, they must be replaced with new ones within 60 days. For logistical reasons, the replacements might not be at the same location but they will be on High Street, said May Lindley, director of Parks, Recreation and Community Services.

"People said we wanted to cut down all the pepper trees and that was never true," said Councilmember Roseann Mikos.

The council unanimously approved the maintenance plan for the trees. Dale Whitaker attended the meeting but didn't speak on the matter.