Fans of the black olive trees on Las Olas Boulevard put up an eleventh-hour fight to save them from the chopping block.
More than 30 people gathered on Fort Lauderdale’s famous boulevard on a cold Monday at noon toting handmade “Save the Trees” signs protesting what some say is a sure thing.
“They cut these down, this place is done,” protester Scott Coyle said.
The Fort Lauderdale Commission has already informally agreed that the tree-lined median needs to go to make way for wider sidewalks. An official vote is expected during a City Hall meeting on Tuesday night.
Chris Nelson, an organizer of Monday’s protest, urged everyone to come to Tuesday night’s City Hall meeting to tell the commission exactly what they think of the plan.
City officials will say they plan to plant more trees, Nelson told the crowd.
“Well what if we want these trees?” he said. “They want to make this road like any other road. They’ll just widen the sidewalks. They can do that if they get rid of the on-street parking.”
That proposal has been roundly panned by property owners who say getting rid of the on-street parking will hurt business.
City activist Ted Inserra told protesters that Mayor Dean Trantalis spoke at a recent meeting held by the River Oaks Civic Association and told everyone the trees weren’t going anywhere only to flip-flop days later.
“The trees are iconic to Fort Lauderdale,” Inserra said. “This median strip is a strand of our DNA that makes Fort Lauderdale what it is. If you take this out, it will look just like Flagler Village, where they want every street to look the exact same. Right here, right now is where we’ve got to draw the line. We lose these trees, we lose our city.”
Fans of the black olive trees on Las Olas hold a protest Monday to urge the Fort Lauderdale commission to save the trees and get rid of on-street parking if they want wider sidewalks. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Today, four blocks of olive trees line the shops section of Las Olas Boulevard.
Construction would not begin right away. But as soon as two years from now, the trees would be removed along with the median in a project that will cost at least $7.5 million. As many as 90 trees would be planted on either side of Las Olas, but would take as many as eight years or more to reach full maturity.
Richard Sussman, a Fort Lauderdale resident, predicts the city will regret its decision.
“The powers that be do not understand what makes this street what it is,” he said. “Without the trees, Las Olas becomes just another commercial thoroughfare. Kiss charm goodbye. They will be literally paving paradise to put up a parking lot.”
Fort Lauderdale turned to social media last week to share the reason behind the long-awaited but controversial makeover.
“Las Olas Boulevard is one of Fort Lauderdale’s most loved streets,” the city shared in a recent post on Facebook. “Planned improvements focus on preserving its character while making it more comfortable, safer and easier to walk and enjoy.”
The improvements listed by the city: More shade where people walk, with a net increase in tree canopy across the corridor; wider sidewalks and safer crossings to improve comfort and accessibility; and traffic-calming features and pedestrian-scale lighting to support everyday use.
Critics say the question should go on a ballot to let residents decide. But that suggestion did not prove popular with the commission.
The commission will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Broward Center for the Performing Arts in the Mary N. Porter Riverview Ballroom.
Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com. Follow me on X @Susannah_Bryan