PALM SPRINGS, Calif. - Complaints from longtime residents of a historically African-American neighborhood near a Palm Springs golf course have led to the removal of a line of trees they claim were planted for racists reasons in the 1960s, according to The Desert Sun.

At an informal meeting with neighborhood residents Sunday, Dec. 17, Palm Springs Mayor Robert Moon, along with other city officials, promised residents they would remove the trees and a chain-link fence along the Crossley Tract property lines as soon as possible.

In a previous Desert Sun report, residents of the neighborhood said the line of trees "remained a lasting remnant of the history of segregation in the city." Residents also claim the invasive tamarisks, which block views of the golf course and San Jacinto mountains, have depressed property values and prevented black families from accumulating wealth in their property for the past half century. Tamarisk trees, also known by the name "tamarix," range from large, evergreen trees to small, shrubby trees.

Palm Springs City Manager David Ready says the tree removal wouldn't be immediate because it needs full city council approval. Arborists also need to be consulted and the project needs to be put up for bid. Ready estimates that the trees could be down within three months.

The cost to remove the line of trees is estimated to cost the city of Palm Springs $169,000, according to the New York Post.