RESIDENTS PROTEST; MCBEAN PARKWAY SET TO LOSE 25 TREES FOLKS OPPOSE TREE-CUTTING ON MCBEAN PARKWAY.

Byline: Angela M. Lemire Staff Writer

VALENCIA - Roughly 25 eucalyptus trees that line McBean Parkway near the Golden State Freeway were marked with yellow paper ribbons Friday morning - a sign of residents' protest against plans to remove them and add two lanes on the roadway.

But city officials later responded that the protest, led by Santa Clarita Organization for Planning the Environment (SCOPE), apparently stemmed from a misunderstanding of the plans. The project will re-stripe the four-lane roadway to add one lane in each direction, they said, but will not widen the blacktop, as residents presumed. The road originally was constructed to accommodate up to six lanes, they said.

City officials also confirmed that 25 roadside eucalyptus trees between Del Monte Drive and the freeway will come down - regardless of the road project.

A federal mandate that requires trees to be at least 18 inches from curb is the reason behind plans to remove those eucalyptus trees along McBean, said city Traffic Engineer Bahman Janka.

Of roughly 200 eucalyptus trees that line McBean, city officials plan to remove 25 trees within that minimum 18-inch setback. Median trees will remain intact, according to city spokeswoman Gail Ortiz.

``Those trees would have to come down anyway,'' Ortiz said. ``This is a big misunderstanding. We probably could have done a better job of telling people what this road project was.''

To handle a 10-percent increase in traffic from two new developments - the Valencia Marketplace west of the freeway and the North Park homes in north Valencia - and in anticipation of interchange reconstruction on I-5 in April that would detour traffic to McBean, the city is re-striping the parkway to add two lanes. Other planned improvements include five new left-turn lanes between Del Monte Drive and the freeway and improved intersections at Granary Square and Alegro Drive, Janka said.

Ortiz said the city is ``under the gun'' to complete the improvements before highway construction begins in April, to handle detoured traffic. McBean currently is traveled by about 36,000 cars per day, she said.

But members of SCOPE who hung the yellow ribbons Friday said the protest was partly to draw Valencia residents' attention to the road project, but also to the loss of habitat for birds and an aesthetically pleasing green-way into the city.

SCOPE members also argued that adding lanes would encourage future development and discourage alternative transportation, such as bicycles.

``There's still time to change things,'' said SCOPE Vice President Lynne Plambeck on Friday. ``(McBean Parkway) is a gateway into this community and a beautiful green-way.

``More and more people throughout the city are beginning to realize that trees are part of our quality of life here. The city is, after all, a Tree City U.S.A.''

SCOPE member Teresa Savaikie said eucalyptus trees are valuable because they provide nesting grounds, and nectar and insects as food for birds such as yellow warblers and red-shouldered hawks. ``We're taking down important habitat,'' she said.

And Marsha McLean, a potential Santa Clarita City Council candidate in the April 11 election, argued that the McBean project ultimately shows that the city is ``sacrificing established neighborhoods for newer ones.''

Responding to issues raised by SCOPE members, Janka pointed out that the 25 eucalyptus trees must be removed by federal law because they are a safety hazard. McBean Parkway, a designated major arterial roadway, was never intended for pedestrian or bicycle use, he said, adding that paseo systems were designed in that area to provide those routes.

Ortiz said she understood residents' concerns for aesthetics, but thinks enough trees will remain on McBean to maintain ``that shady tree feeling'' in that neighborhood.

As for development impacts, Ortiz pointed out that bridge and thoroughfare fees from the Valencia Marketplace and Northpark developments are paying for the McBean improvements.

``People keep saying they want developers to pay their fair share for roads and road improvements,'' Ortiz said. ``Here's where we see them paying $1 million for the city to do this work.''

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo: (1 -- color) Saugus resident Teresa Savaikie and son Ryan, 3, register protest by linking the McBean Parkway stand of eucalyptus trees with yellow ribbon.

Shaun Dyer/Special to the Daily News

(2) Newhall resident Bob Lathrop ties a yellow ribbon to protest removal of trees to widen McBean Parkway.

Shaun Dyer/Special to the Daily News