The trees aren’t dead, they’re dying.
But the park may have earned the name adopted by some city residents: Dead Pier Park.
The city of Anna Maria received an expert opinion May 26 about the 17 live oak trees in City Pier Park and the diagnosis wasn’t good.
Arborist Lori Ballard, of Samnik & Ballard Expert Tree Consultants in from Palm Harbor, recently assessed the live oaks to see if they were still able to be a safe, viable part of the plans for City Pier Park at the corner of Pine Avenue and South Bay Boulevard in Anna Maria.
Her opinion is the trees are in an irreversible decline and should be removed.
When the city commissioners approved funding for the park’s development May 7, Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy requested the expert opinion.
Murphy wanted to make sure any arguments about the trees were settled before improvements began.
The city planted the 17 live oaks after the lots were purchased in 2011. After they were planted, people began commenting on trees, saying they weren’t growing and looked like they were dead.
The nickname Dead Tree Park was born.
The plan is to turn the barren lots into green space.
Bollard’s report said the oaks were planted too deep. Their roots are suffocating and unable to break out of their root ball. The inability to expand won’t allow a tree to develop properly.
“It’s my opinion the trees be removed and replaced with new nursery trees,” she said.
According to Bollard, the first three months of a newly transplanted tree’s life are the most crucial. For the first month, the tree needs to be given 3 gallons of water a day for every diameter inch; in the second month they should be given the same amount of water every other day; and in the third month once or twice a week.
The trees were 8-10 inches in diameter. They should have received 24-30 gallons at each watering.
Public works director George McKay told Bollard that when the trees were planted they were hand watered for the first two weeks after being planted. A drip irrigation system was installed, then recently replaced with sprinklers.
Bollard said the hand watering wasn’t enough.
McKay said there are currently no plans to remove the trees. He said he’s waiting until the park is more developed before making a decision.