Tamarisk Trees That Blocked Historically Black Lawrence Crossley Neighborhood set to come down

KESQ

Max Rodriguez

In January the Palm Springs City Council voted to remove a line of Tamarisk trees along the Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort, after some residents of the Historically Black Crossley neighborhood claimed the trees were placed to separate them from the golf course.

The row of trees may look like any regular line of trees, when in reality they are anything but, the trees in questioned were featured on national television, just ask Tucker Carlson at Fox News he began a news segment with, “Well the government of Palm Springs California out in the desert is plotting a war on racist trees.”

But how could a tree be racist? KMIR News spoke with Trae Daniel a resident of the Crossley neighborhood who said, “United States was racist, and you could not have a black community living on a white golf course.” He said the trees were planted prior to 1960 and he said they are no longer welcomed. 

The Tamarisk trees were seen around the country, but Bill Andews whose front window view is of the trees wants them out of sight.

Andrews said, “Mainly because of the mountain view, it is a beautiful thing to look at every morning you open the drapes and the trees just block it.”

He pulled photos from the last time the trees were trimmed, the time stamp on the photo said March 2016.

He was able to look out his window and enjoy a picturesque view of the San Jacinto Mountains for a few months while the trees grew tall again.

But he said he is ready for that view full-time.

Andrews said, “As the sun is coming up you get this purple and orange hitting the mountain just coming up slowly as the sun comes up, it’s an awesome view.”

He will soon have his awesome view back; the trees are in their last stand.

In January the Palm Springs City Council voted to remove a line of Tamarisk trees along the Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort, after some residents of the Historically Black Crossley neighborhood claimed the trees were placed to separate them from the golf course.

The row of trees may look like any regular line of trees, when in reality they are anything but, the trees in questioned were featured on national television, just ask Tucker Carlson at Fox News he began a news segment with, “Well the government of Palm Springs California out in the desert is plotting a war on racist trees.”

But how could a tree be racist? KMIR News spoke with Trae Daniel a resident of the Crossley neighborhood who said, “United States was racist, and you could not have a black community living on a white golf course.” He said the trees were planted prior to 1960 and he said they are no longer welcomed. 

The Tamarisk trees were seen around the country, but Bill Andews whose front window view is of the trees wants them out of sight.

Andrews said, “Mainly because of the mountain view, it is a beautiful thing to look at every morning you open the drapes and the trees just block it.”

He pulled photos from the last time the trees were trimmed, the time stamp on the photo said March 2016.

He was able to look out his window and enjoy a picturesque view of the San Jacinto Mountains for a few months while the trees grew tall again.

But he said he is ready for that view full-time.

Andrews said, “As the sun is coming up you get this purple and orange hitting the mountain just coming up slowly as the sun comes up, it’s an awesome view.”

He will soon have his awesome view back; the trees are in their last stand.

“They are supposed to be starting this week, or today,” Andrews said. “But when? We don’t know we are looking forward to them being gone.”

A City of Palm Springs spokesperson was not able to share the exact date for the entire removal of the trees, but they said it will be a work in progress for the week. The removal of the Tamarisk trees will cost the city over $150,000.