Park Avenue residents Betty Yanger and Nancy Yetter addressed Anna Maria commissioners at their Feb. 9 meeting, expressing outrage over the removal of Australian pines at the Park Avenue beach access before taking public input.
Yetter claimed she heard the city agreed to remove the pines because the builder of a new home at the beach end of Park Avenue, told the city that the “owner wanted a view of the water.”
“It was a blatant destruction of the Island, carried out in secrecy,” Yetter said.
She did say she was aware of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection order of 2004 requiring municipalities to remove Australian pines from public property whenever possible, but asked Mayor Mike Selby to “look into negating the DEP rules regarding Australian pine removal.”
“Bring in tall trees with shade and, in the future, show people what the area would look like if the pines were removed. We want tall trees,” Yetter said.
Yanger suggested cedar, gumbo limbo and cabbage palm trees, among others, should have been purchased and planted immediately to keep the area shaded.
“Right now, it looks like a war zone,” Yetter said.
What’s “done is done,” Yanger said. She suggested the city have a plan in the future when it schedules the removal of trees such as the mature Australian pines.
Yanger said the city should always “consult with the residents” in the area where exotics will be removed, and have native trees ready to plant to replace the exotics.
“We want to look forward,” Yanger said.
Former Commissioner Gene Aubry said the city was divided for a long time over some issues. “Now it’s not, but it’s about to be again,” he said.
Commissioners should “think, talk to each other and take the time to talk to people about the decisions you make. I would hate to see this continue,” Aubry said.
What’s happened on Park Avenue is “pretty sad to see,” Aubry said.
City resident Mike Coleman, however, said he didn’t agree the city is “about to be divided.”
He said Yanger and Yetter are asking for solutions.
Coleman suggested the commission should enact a measure to “replace each Australian pine with a native tree” as Yanger suggested.
Commission Chair Chuck Webb said the issue of Australian pines was not advertised for discussion on the agenda.
City attorney Jim Dye, however, said discussion was fine as long as no ordinance or resolution was adopted.
Dye suggested the city advertise discussion of the Australian pines issue, and Webb said the city did have some control over property owners removing exotics and other vegetation.
He suggested the city have a mitigation system requiring a developer plant native species as replacements for some removed trees.
“The question is how far we want to go into private property rights,” Webb said.
Webb said he would work on a mitigation resolution and advertise it for a future meeting, but he noted the Australian pine tree issue is not new.
“It’s been discussed and discussed in this city” the past 10-15 years at least, he said.
I think Anna Maria city commissioners hsuold think twice before destroying a pristine natural area of the Island. Many homeowners are not here now and are probably not aware of what the plans are. I have always felt so grateful for the natural beauty of that area and have been enjoying the walk and pines for more than 3o years, Please, Anna Maria residents do not let these trees be removed or this beautiful area covered with decking, asphalt, public toilets or any other creative planning.
Believe me when I say these trees are not gone forever. they will return. When I was a kid in Bradenton Beach, we had to cut down three of them on our property because they were over 100 feet tall and due to their inherit danger of falling over in storms because they have no tap root and what roots they do have are all at surface level, they were extremely dangerous. The roots actually extended under our house and out the other side. Within a few months new trees were pushing up to start the process over again. It must have taken over 20 years of cutting shoots off at ground level until the roots finally died and stopped sending new shoots.
I think replacing them with local plants is a much better option. Almost anything will give more shade than the pines.
Believe me when I say these trees are not gone forever. they will rutern. When I was a kid in Bradenton Beach, we had to cut down three of them on our property because they were over 100 feet tall and due to their inherit danger of falling over in storms because they have no tap root and what roots they do have are all at surface level, they were extremely dangerous. The roots actually extended under our house and out the other side. Within a few months new trees were pushing up to start the process over again. It must have taken over 20 years of cutting shoots off at ground level until the roots finally died and stopped sending new shoots.I think replacing them with local plants is a much better option. Almost anything will give more shade than the pines.
Way to go, Betty Yanger and Nancy Yetter – keep your governing officials honest and demand transparency! Citizens should always be informed when their government will discuss major changes, and government should always involve citizens in major decisions – Friends of the Pines
I have a hard time believing these residents felt that the city didn’t consult with the residents before removing the trees. I am from Minnesota and knew long ago that these trees were to be removed by reading The Islander. If you fail to educate yourself, you have no one to blame but you!