The trees fought the law — and the law won.
After a week-long effort by local residents to save them , the city tore down 20 oak trees next to what will be the site of the new Tallahassee Police Department headquarters.
Tree cutters chopped down the towering oaks Thursday morning, less than 24 hours after city staffers concluded the reconstruction of the old Northwood Centre required their removal.
“In this case, it is not possible to retain the trees and also preserve an adequate amount of land for new residential dwellings in the northern parcel,” City Manager Reese Goad said in an email to the mayor and city commissioners.
A few Parkside and Park Terrace neighborhood residents, joined by Leon County Commissioner David O’Keefe and Tallahassee City Commissioners Jeremy Matlow and Jack Porter, watched as the trees — which had long been a buffer between nearby houses and the old mall — were uprooted before their eyes.
The trees were scheduled to be cut down to make room for a new stormwater pond that the city is required to build. But public outcry briefly paused the removal and led to a reconsideration of options.