Teresa Real Sebastian, J.D.

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March 24, 2014 Via U.S. Mail and email at ron.litzinger@sce.com Mr. Ronald L. Litzinger President Southern California Edison Company 2244 Walnut Grove Avenue Rosemead, CA 91770 Re: Edison forces the City of Monterey Park to cut down 112 park trees

Dear President Litzinger: Since 1965, Southern California Edison has licensed property to the City of Monterey Park to be used as a park and hiking trail. The area is known as Edison Trails Park. The park starts on Garfield Avenue and then proceeds east to the hiking trail. The trail continues in an open space corridor which has residential homes on each side and then ends on Fulton Avenue with another pocket park. A few Edison towers are located in the park and hiking trail. The parks have a playground, restrooms, benches and trees. The hiking trail has beautiful trees, blue jays, hummingbirds etc. and on a clear day you can see Catalina Island. Every year Edison inspects the property and the City abides by their inspection and trims the trees accordingly. The City and its residents are good stewards of the Edison property. The park and hiking trail area are enjoyed by neighborhood watch groups for their meetings, families, local schools, youth groups, hikers, walkers and joggers. It is eco-friendly, pedestrian friendly and very dear to the community. Every so often you can see an Edison employee in the park enjoying his lunch break under the shade of a tree. This year L.A. County Supervisor Gloria Molina provided an $80,000 grant to the City of Monterey Park to improve the trail with trees and other landscape, benches and drinking fountains to encourage the community to engage in an active outdoor lifestyle. All in all, the City and its residents have had a very good relation with Edison, until now. Edison has had a change of heart. For example, Edisons new setback requirements for their towers have doubled. Instead of a 50 foot setback, Edison requires a 100 foot setback. In some cases, the new setbacks will require that all surrounding tower landscape located in the park and trail be cleared leaving only bare dirt. In other cases the new setbacks extend into the adjacent residential lots. Those residents will need to clear landscaping from their own property to comply with the setback parameters. Whether expressly or impliedly stated by Edison, the end result is that these new requirements will force the City to cut down 112 trees along the trail and park or the City will lose its right to use the entire property. For almost five decades, Edison, the City and residents have witnessed the growth and maturity of these trees. For almost five decades, Edison has accessed their towers and the surrounding landscape never posed a problem. The irony is that Edison recently donated 100+ trees to the City to promote green living, yet Edison is forcing the City to remove 112 mature established trees from the very same community.

March 24, 2014 Page 2 Re: Edison forces the City of Monterey Park to cut down 112 park trees According to Edisons website under Improving Air Quality (bold emphasis added): Southern California continues to face serious air quality issues. Most of our area's emissions 80% come from mobile sources such as cars, trucks and trains. The rest comes from stationary sources such as refineries, power plants, and factories. We believe continued collaboration among Southern California stakeholders is essential to resolve these issues for a sustainable energy future. Edisons declaration stands in stark contrast to its actions. On the one hand, it espouses collaboration to achieve its clean air mandate and on the other, it forces a community to destroy mature established trees that we all know are essential generators of clean air. The City of Monterey Park is committed to improving air quality, providing healthy and sustainable living and preserving pedestrian and eco-friendly environments to preserve the quality of life for its community. To achieve these goals and serve the community it is imperative that all stakeholders, including municipalities and utility companies, work in a collaborative partnership. When one decides to unilaterally dictate a course of action, the whole system fails and the community suffers. We, the following residents of the City of Monterey Park and/or those who have enjoyed Edison Trails Park and the hiking trail, urge you to reconsider Edisons mandate and in the spirit of service to the community, meet with City staff to collaborate a resolution to permit the City of Monterey Park and its community to continue to use Edison Trails Park and the hiking trail in its present natural condition before more trees are destroyed. Sincerely, /s/ Teresa Real Sebastian, J.D. Council Member, Monterey Park Resident, Monterey Park Southern California Edison Ratepayer TRS/abm Cc: Gaddi H. Vasquez, Senior Vice President via email at gaddi.vasquez@sce.com David L. Mead, Senior Vice President via email at david.mead@sce.com Attachments