Rockledge Drive tree trimming will proceed after protracted tension with Brevard County and residents
Monday marks the day that a years-long conflict between residents on Rockledge Drive and Brevard County officials comes to a head as county workers will head to the scenic roadway to begin pruning oak trees at the heart of the dispute.
Residents and members of the Rockledge Drive Tree Coalition say the county's plans to prune oaks are overly ambitious and risk both the area's natural splendor and the environment. County officials have said they plan only modest cuts on unhealthy trees to make room for emergency vehicles and prepare for future road resurfacing. Michelle Maricic, who has lead much of the effort to stop the county's plans, had hoped a lawsuit filed in April would stop the action. A judge has yet to hear her group's argument and the plans will move forward regardless, she said.
The group filed an emergency motion Wednesday asking the courts to temporarily halt the trimming operations. As of Friday afternoon, there had been no action on the motion.
More: County Commission to consider Rockledge Drive tree-trimming plan that has residents upset
"The county's intention is to start before a judge can hear from us," Maricic said.
"We were ignored... I don't know what to say," she added. "They're not taking out a fence. They're taking out 300-year-old oaks."
According to a report by the Brevard County Public Works Department, there are around 61 trees out of more than 1,000 along the 2.6-mile stretch of Rockledge Drive requiring trimming. Branches from these trees hang lower than 14 feet above the road and extend over the pavement, which could potentially disrupt emergency and public works vehicles in the area.
Maricic and others have said the city of Rockledge, which provides those same services farther north along Rockledge Drive, is able to provide those same services without the same level of pruning.
Brevard County Public Works officials have said 15 trees would require severe trimming, 18 would require major trimming and 28 would require minor trimming.
Maricic said she wishes the county would wait until a judge has time to hear the arguments her group is making in the injunction.
"These trees have been standing for hundreds of years. What's the rush so a judge can hear what we stand to lose from a historical heritage standpoint?"
Tyler Vazquez is the Brevard County watchdog reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Vazquez at 321-480-0854 or tvazquez@floridatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Brevard County will move forward with Rockledge tree trimming
