“#wtf … can I Ask Bungalower? ” – Chelsea Leigh Simmons via Facebook
We received the above message on Facebook in regards to a photo a reader had taken of a sign posted on a tree stump in Colonialtown North. The sign, as you can see in our photo, states that the tree was removed by accident by the City.
We spoke with Mr. Pinder, an Orlando resident who lived by the removed tree, who stated that the old-growth oak had been in relatively good health prior to being cut down. When he reached out to the City’s Parks department for more information, he was informed that the tree had indeed been removed by accident.
According to our contacts at City Hall, the City was indeed notified by residents concerning the removal of the tree this week at 1407 Illinois Street (which you can see here by clicking on our GMap link). The City’s Public Relations office told us that, “The City has looked into this issue and determined that this tree was mistakenly removed by the City’s crew. We have notified the residents and will be replacing the tree. Additionally, we are reviewing our internal procedures to see if any improvements or changes could be made to further prevent this from happening.”
Mr. Pinder has informed us that the City will be planting two 16 foot replacement trees in the right of way very soon.
In related news, we have also been asked about the laurel oaks that were removed from behind Mills Park by Lake Formosa. We posted a photo of the large oaks on our Instagram (@orlandobungalower) being removed last week along the Urban Trail. According to the City, the Permitting Department, “received a tree removal permit application from Davey Tree Services on behalf of Mills Park Apartment. The trees were inspected, they were both laurel oaks and found to be declining. They were permitted for removal.”
Rumors saying the trees were removed by the apartment complex to make way for a dog run seem to be unfounded as no permits have been filed at this time.
I asked the city to prune a laurel oak on my property and came home today and the tree was cut down to the stump. We live in Colonialtown south/milk district. Who do I call to get the stump removed and get this fixed?
We had a mature Laurel Oak removed by accident as well in Colonialtown North. They admitted wrongdoing and said their excuse was that the “takeout crew” got the notice instead of the “pruning crew”.
We raised holy heck about it and they gave us a large live oak as a replacement. It won’t provide near the amount of shade the old tree did (in my lifetime), but at least they tried to make amends.
The City is proactively removing Laurel Oaks in order to save money. The majority are now nearing the end of their life cycles and are a public hazard and eyesore.
Orlando just spent $1 Million dollars compensating a victim of one of the dead…but ignored ones.U0001f614
As the owner of the home where this tree has been removed I can tell you that this is not the first time a tree has been removed from our block. Within the span of the past 5 months, 2 trees surrounding our home have been removed and another has been damaged beyond repair. We appreciate the city “replacing” these trees due to their mistake, but at the end of the day, nothing will replace what we have lost. The city promises to replace these trees with “16 ft oaks,” but after speaking with the head arborist in the city of Orlando, we have been told that this is probably an impossible task and that we will most likely have to deal with smaller trees.