Two heritage live oaks near Freedom Park in Charlotte, North Carolina, estimated to be about a century old, are slated to come down to make way for a single-family house.
Residents say cutting the trees would eliminate shade, alter the feel of the block, and remove a piece of the neighborhood that took generations to mature.
Here's what to know
Approved plans show the two large oaks being cleared for a nearly 6,500-square-foot home, according to WBTV.
The trees are classified as heritage trees, a designation Charlotte uses for especially old and large trees within city limits. A tree qualifies as a heritage tree if it is at least 100 years old and at least 30 inches in diameter.
Following a TreesCharlotte study that found the city's canopy was shrinking, Charlotte introduced a rule requiring permits before heritage trees can be felled.
Meigan Alexander, who lives across from one of the oaks, told WBTV that neighbors do not believe the removals are necessary.
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"We're mad, because we don't think that it actually has to happen," she said.
Since the ordinance took effect in 2023, the city says it has logged nearly 2,400 permits for heritage-tree removals because of development and other reasons.
More background
Alexander said the impact would reach well beyond curb appeal.
"The character — by removing this tree and the other heritage tree behind — is going to be wiped out, and it doesn't get replaced by a sapling," she said, according to WBTV.
Because mature trees provide substantial shade and environmental value, neighbors say newly planted replacements would not match that for decades. They say they have tried to save the oaks over those concerns but have little ability to prevent their removal.
What's being done?
The city's approach is to regulate removals. Under the 2023 ordinance, developers need a permit to take down a heritage tree, and if one is removed for development, the city requires a $1,500 payment and a replacement sapling.
Even so, neighbors say the permit, fee, and replanting requirement would do little to offset the immediate loss of two trees that have stood for about 100 years, WBTV reported.
Alexander and her neighbors placed signs on one of the trees in hopes of stopping the removal.
"A $1,500 dollar fine is not even a slap on the wrist," Alexander said. "And a sapling...we're not even going to see that come to fruition over our lifetime."
Where can I learn more?
The articles below look at what happens when residents collide over old trees.
• In Charlotte, homeowners said an HOA violated city ordinance by cutting a cherished heritage tree.
• In California, advocates warned a massive housing development program could endanger the ancient Jurupa oak.
• A homeowner faced pressure from their neighbors to destroy a centuries-old tree.
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