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Developers' request to remove specimen trees in Milky Way Farms tabled after council pushback
Summary
Council tabled a large specimen-tree removal and mitigation request for Milky Way Farms after debate about raising lot grades, critical root zones, and whether large trees could survive proposed fill; developers were asked to return with site-specific proof and revised plans.
The City of Brooksville tabled a request from CBD Real Estate Investments to remove specimen trees and accept mitigation for a multi-lot subdivision called Milky Way Farms. Councilmembers expressed concern that the developer’s plan would require raising lots and roadways out of a floodplain — work that, staff and consultants warned, would likely destroy the root zones of many mature trees.
Project representatives said code-required mitigation (459 replacement trees plus additional mitigation trees and roughly $220,000 in mitigation funds) would be provided, but councilmembers pressed for more information about whether specific, large trees in front yards and retention areas could be saved. A planner and project consultant explained that bringing many lots above the flood elevation required 1–4 feet of fill across the site, plus underground utilities, and that critical root-zone impacts make many large trees unlikely to survive.
Council directed the applicant to return with additional analysis and evidence for trees the council specifically asked be considered for preservation. The motion to table passed; the council member who moved the motion said she would consider revised plans that demonstrate how some large trees might be retained.
Next steps: applicant to return with additional documentation — including arborist analysis or other evidence that identified trees cannot survive the proposed grading — or a modified design that preserves specified specimen trees.
