DELAND, Fla. — 62 historic oak trees will be cut down in DeLand to make way for a new development, and some residents are opposing the plan.
The property is at the southeast corner of Cassadaga Road and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
“All of these trees are holding so much stormwater, you know they are like a sponge with their root systems and their canopies,” said Wendy Anderson.
Anderson is a professor of environmental science at Stetson University and worries that the project will make flooding worse.
“All of that water coming off of this site is going to go south into Orange City,” said Anderson.
A city spokesperson told Eyewitness News the developer has agreed to replant 62 trees. The city shared this statement about the project known as the DeLand Tech Park:
The City of DeLand recognizes both the importance of balancing growth with responsible environmental stewardship.
At Monday night’s commission meeting, the City Commission approved a resolution that allows for 62 historic trees to be removed for the DeLand Tech Park project to move forward – an action that was necessary given the site’s design needs.
To mitigate the impact of the removal, the developer will be required to replant 62 trees elsewhere on the property, maintaining a 1:1 replacement ratio. Additionally, the developer has modified its site to enhance a landscape buffer to protect a historic tree and will designate an additional 10-acre area for tree preservation that contains more than 550 trees.
DeLand is proud of its long-standing commitment to protecting its natural beauty – one of the reasons we have been recognized as a Tree City USA for more than 35 consecutive years. We look forward to seeing this site grow both commercially and ecologically, as the newly planted trees take root and become a part of the city’s storied history. We feel this project reflects our commitment to ensuring that, as our city grows, we preserve the canopy and charm that make DeLand a special place to live, work, and play.
“It’s not jobs versus historic oaks. It’s we need to do the right thing and stop flooding our area,” Suzanne Scheiber from Dream Green Volusia.
Scheiber hopes the developers can be convinced to save more of the trees.
“Even if they replace these trees with smaller trees, it’s not the same as historic oaks that took this long to grow to this size,” said Scheiber.
Historic Oaks are protected under Florida law, but cities can authorize their removal in certain circumstances, like development. Developers typically need a valid reason, such as a safety concern or approved construction plans.
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