With the City Council’s rejection of Treesavers’ appeal of the Landmarks Commission’s decision not to designate trees on two downtown stress as landmarks, the fate of 50-plus trees the City wants to remove returned to the courts.

Treesavers and the City of Santa Monica were scheduled to appear in court today for a preliminary hearing on an injunction Treesavers is seeking. But at a hearing on the hearing Thursday, the court granted the request of Treesavers’ attorney, Tom Nitti, that the preliminary hearing be held next Thursday, February 28. In addition to acceding to the delay, the City’s attorney agreed that in the interim no trees would be removed – unless they threatened public safety.

Contrary to an earlier announcement, there will be no vigil.