Blakespear's fire hazard has been a problem for years; city ignored under previous administration

Coast News:

Dozens of dead palm trees on a state lawmaker’s private land, viewed by neighbors as a dangerous fire hazard, have sparked urgent calls to clear the mounting piles of tinder-dry fronds in light of the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles.

Rossini Canyon, a property in Cardiff-by-the-Sea owned by state Sen. Catherine Blakespear (D-Encinitas), has drawn several complaints in recent years about potential fire hazards posed by more than 40 dead palm trees and mounds of dried fronds on the site. According to neighbors, dozens of Canary Island and Queen palm trees on the parcel were killed during a palm weevil infestation starting in 2021.

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In November 2023, Cummings reported the potential fire risk to the city through MyEncinitas, a civic engagement app that allows residents to share their concerns quickly. The city responded on Dec. 29, 2023, stating the area was not located in a “very high fire hazard severity zone” and, therefore, the dead palms did not necessitate action, according to emails obtained by The Coast News.

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Chapter 11.12 of the Encinitas Municipal Code states that it’s “unlawful for any owner, lessee or occupant of any real property within the City to place or maintain dirt, rubbish, materials, grass, weeds or vegetation on or about such property or on or about adjacent sidewalks, parking areas, alleys or streets in a manner that is either dangerous or injurious to neighboring property or the health or welfare of residents in the vicinity; or interferes with the use of public rights-of-way.”