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Tree board logs few removals; Royal Palm at amphitheater to be removed for Ganoderma; Washingtonia palms raise long‑term maintenance questions
Summary
Staff said there have been few removals on village property but reported a Royal Palm removal at the amphitheater due to Ganoderma. Will told the board about roughly 500 trees lost to last year’s tornado (in inventory) and discussed high trimming costs and disease risk for Washingtonia palms.
Will reported that the village has had relatively few routine removals of trees on public property but that crews recently removed a Royal Palm at the amphitheater after staff confirmed Ganoderma infection. "We just need to take a royal palm from the amphitheater that had Ganoderma," Will said.
Board members noted the widespread tree losses from last year’s tornado were not recorded on the routine removals list because they were storm losses; Will said roughly 500 trees were lost across town and in nearby preserves during that event and the damage was cleaned up as a natural event rather than as routine removals.
The board also discussed the extensive maintenance needs for the Washingtonia palms along a major stretch of the village. Will said the village currently trims those palms at significant annual cost—about $22,000–$23,000 per year for a single stretch—and estimated there are about 475 Washingtonia palms in town. He warned many are now 60–70 feet tall, approaching the practical limits of the buckets used for trimming and raising concerns about future maintenance and storm vulnerability. "I spend about $22,000 to $23,000 a year just trimming those," Will said.
Board members noted Florida Power & Light has previously offered to replace trees on the power‑line sides at no cost to the village and that the offer remains available, but residents historically resisted removal because of aesthetics. The board discussed possibly replacing some high‑maintenance palms with different palms or canopy trees over time and said any change would require homeowner buy‑in and public outreach.
No formal vote on a planting replacement program or a palm‑removal policy took place at the meeting; board members asked staff to track storm losses in inventory and to consider maintenance limits in future planting or replacement plans.
