The City Council finds and declares as follows:
A. Views, trees and vegetation contribute to the aesthetic value, quality of life, ambiance and economic value of properties within the City of Culver City (“City”).
B Views, whether of the City, the Los Angeles Basin, the surrounding hillside and canyons, or other natural and man-made landmarks, produce a variety of significant and tangible benefits for both residents and visitors.
C. Trees and vegetation (defined in § 9.12.010 as “tree(s)” and hereinafter collectively referred to as “tree(s)”) produce a wide variety of significant psychological and tangible benefits for both residents and visitors to the community. Trees provide privacy, modify temperatures. screen winds, replenish oxygen to the atmosphere, maintain soil moisture, mitigate soil erosion, and provide wildlife habitat. Trees contribute to the visual environment and aesthetics by blending, buffering, and reducing the scale and mass of architecture. Trees within the City provide botanical variety and a sense of history. Trees also create shade and visual screens, and provide a buffer between different land uses. The benefits derived from preexisting views may sometimes come into conflict with trees. The planting of trees and their subsequent growth, particularly when such trees are not properly maintained, can produce unintended harmful effects, both on the property on which they are planted and on neighboring properties.
D. This Chapter shall be applicable to the affected hillside areas in the City, including Hetzler/Tompkins, Blair Hills, and Culver Crest, as shown in gray shading on the map attached to Ordinance No. 2006-002 and incorporated herein by reference as Exhibit A.
(Ord. No. 2006-002 § 1 (part))