The oak tree on the corner of FM 518 and Louisiana Ave. (61 inches round and over 100 years old) is in the way of the widening of Louisiana Ave. (click here for facebook page) Council will decide what the fate of the Ghirardi oak will be at the council meeting on Tuesday. (Click here to see news article) So what are the options.
Option one: Moving the Compton oak to the Water Smart Park.
Cost: About $292,000 which would come from dedicated park fees.
Option two: Shift the Louisiana Avenue project west and create a pocket park around the Compton oak.
Cost: At least $267,000 and the money would come out of the city’s general fund reserves.
Option three: Cut the Compton oak down and replace it with new oaks according to the city’s tree preservation plan.
Cost: About $27,500 from the city’s general fund reserves.
So are you a liberal if you want to save the tree ? (spending tax payer money that could be used for other projects) or are you a conservative if you want to chop it down? (saving taxpayer money and selling off the wood to make up the amount spent to cut it? ) Is it possible to be both? (according to all the campaign material over the last few years it is not)
Our elected officials use the terms “Liberal” (tree hugger) and “conservative” (tree chopper) in city campaign materials so let us see what they consider the definition of the terms are.
Thoughts?
