Clay County split on request to remove 200‑year‑old live oak's specimen‑tree protection

A request to remove a specimen‑tree designation for an 83‑inch live oak at 2975 Rosecrans sparked hours of public comment and debate at the Clay County Board of County Commissioners meeting on March 24.

Beth, a planning staff member presenting the case, said a 2026 certified arborist report concluded that "significant soil grade modification within the root zone . . . represents a substantial physiological stressor expected to impair root function over time" and predicted "progressive decline . . . with mortality possible within an estimated 3 to 5 year period." Staff therefore recommended removal of the specimen designation so the property owner could build without returning to the BCC if future pruning or removal were needed.

Betsy Haslett, agent for the new owners, told the board the family did not buy the land to remove the tree and would prefer to preserve it if possible. "No one wanted to cut down the tree," Haslett said. She explained…