Rondina also asked which species of new trees the city had chosen. Officials have not yet said what kinds of trees will be planted, only that there will be a variety, not just a single species, as was done before. Rondina said he feared that the trees on his block, which had stood for 100 years, might be replaced with “10-dollar trees that won’t last 10 years.”

“To cut these trees down is totally wrong,” he said.

According to the city’s website, residents should receive notices in their mailboxes within 72 hours of the tree removal, asking them to clear cars from the street and giving them a time frame for the work.

“It’s a tough process; Sandy has changed the landscape of Long Beach in so many ways,” LaCarrubba said. “But I’d rather have a new, vibrant tree than a [damaged] tree take out a car or person.”