Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation And Tree Removal topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Variance board approves removal of live oak for K-Bar Ranch road segment citing emergency response needs
Summary
The board approved removal of a landmark live oak to complete Segment G of K-Bar Ranch Parkway, after city staff and public-safety representatives said the road connection would materially improve emergency response times to the growing neighborhood.
The City of Tampa Variance Review Board on May 13 granted a request to remove a grand live oak to allow construction of a final road segment (Segment G) of K-Bar Ranch Parkway near Morris Bridge Road.
Why it matters: City transportation staff and emergency services emphasized the connection—s role in shortening response times for ambulances and fire units serving the K-Bar area. Nick Stocco, president of the Tampa Firefighters Union, told the board the cut-through would reduce response times and said firefighters "highly support" the removal.
Details: The tree is a Quercus virginiana with a 36-inch DBH and a canopy roughly 72 by 79 feet. The proposed road crosses a wetland and requires culvert work; staff presented two alignment alternatives and said either choice would significantly affect the tree—s canopy and root zone. Natural resources staff found the removal inconsistent with preservation policies but offered conditions; transportation staff argued the roadway is a long-planned connection shown on prior plats and rezoning documents.
Board action and rationale: After hearing engineering analyses and city planners' history of the road alignment, the board concluded that the petitioner met the six-factor test for grand tree removal in section 27-284.20.5(t)(4) of the City code. The board cited public-safety benefits and concluded that alternatives would either not preserve the tree or would cause equal or greater harm. The motion to grant removal carried at the hearing; mitigation requirements were recorded in the staff memo (24 Type 1 trees at 2.5-inch DBH in the plan).
Community voices: Several developers and project engineers described repeated coordination with city staff and wetland regulators; a union representative and the city—s transportation engineer emphasized the public-safety and connectivity case. One resident spoke in favor of preserving the canopy but the board majority found the public-safety and project-planning case persuasive.
Next steps: The developer will proceed with right-of-way construction subject to mitigation and coordination with natural resources and stormwater staff; the board attached conditions aligning with the city—s mitigation schedule.
