Residents outraged over developers' shocking act near local park: 'It makes me want to cry'

Residents of a Denver suburb are rallying against the developers of an apartment complex after dozens of trees were suddenly cut down on the outskirts of a local park.

The actions occurred on a lot near Belmar Park in Lakewood. KMGH reported that the lot, which has previously been used for parking and an access area for the park, is privately owned, so no permits were needed before bringing down the trees.

Many of the felled trees were left blocking the lot, and police were reportedly asked by the owners to keep other people off the property.

Residential property company Kairoi plans to build an apartment complex on the property.

"It makes me want to cry on two levels," local resident Cathy Kentner told Denver7. "Obviously, the first is the destruction of the trees and the wildlife habitat, and the other is the incredible disrespect of the people of Lakewood."

The Rainforest Action Network estimates that between 3.5 billion and 7 billion trees are cut down each year. Not only are many of those trees cut down to create room for construction projects, but also to create the timber used in those projects.

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Trees are not just vital in providing habitats for birds and other wildlife, but also in helping to keep our planet from overheating and mitigating extreme weather events. They absorb the harmful gases that cause global temperature increases and release beneficial oxygen. Research has found that thriving trees and forests can keep parts of the planet up to a full degree cooler.

Lakewood's planning commission approved the apartment complex after hearing complaints from many residents. As part of that agreement, Kairoi has to keep seven trees on the property and pay a fee of $415,200 that will go toward planting 174 trees and 2,054 shrubs in the neighborhood.

But a citizen-led group, Save Belmar Park, fears that won't be enough to mitigate the environmental damage that could be done by this construction. In particular, the group believes that park property will be graded as part of the project, and it wants the city to designate a wildlife buffer zone that would protect the park.

"The Kairoi Belmar housing project, as planned without a science-based raptor buffer zone, will harm the rare riparian wildlife habitat at Belmar Park and promote reduced wildlife diversity in the area," the group said on its website.