Coral Gables Residents Question Drastic Tree Trimming
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CORAL GABLES (CBSMiami) – Some residents in the City of Coral Gables are upset, wondering why usually-lush trees in one area are being drastically cut back.
Coral Gables is known for its trees. According to the city, Coral Gables was named a top tree city for the past 27 years.
Some of the Banyan trees along the Granada Golf Course, though, are partly missing.
Marilu Hernandez, a resident, says the trimmed trees "look horrible."
Same with resident Noel Gonzalo who says, "it just looks bad for the neighborhood cause it's Coral Gables, you know, it just looks bad."
Ernie Diaz said he was in "shock they would do that to these trees on this golf course."
Click here to WATCH CBS4 Cynthia Demos's report
Neighbors are simply having a hard time trying to understand. They say the Banyan trees have been butchered. There's even a conversation going on Facebook. One resident saying, "for a city that requires a permit just to change a light bulb outside your house this is unconscionable."
Diaz agreed, "I think if any resident did that to their trees they would be fined.
CBS4 called city hall and spoke with the landscape services director who said, "This is routine tree trimming by our regular contractor. A certified arborist is overseeing this so it is following the industry standards."
The city says it looks so drastic because the trees haven't been trimmed in a decade and they've decided to prune them since the golf course is closed for renovations. Neighbors, though, say the trimming is too drastic.
"It's very hard to get the trees the way they were before," said Hernandez.
The city says the trees grow 24 to 36 inches every year and will be full again in about two years.
The arborist said golfers were knocking their balls into the road because the trees were so big.
