Long Beach residents put together petition to save oak tree

Long Beach residents are putting together a petition to save a 200-year-old live oak tree on Fourth Street and Jeff Davis Avenue.

A couple of months ago, some residents found out developers wanted to tear the tree down to build a hotel in the spot.

The tree has survived many storms such as hurricanes Camille and Katrina. Some residents want it to be treated like a historic landmark.

Residents went as far as contacting arborists and professional builders to see if the hotel and tree could co-exist without one or the other disappearing. So far, there are more than 1,500 names on the list to save the tree.

Residents will present the information at the board of aldermen meeting tomorrow at 5 p.m. at city hall, in hopes of hearing the hotel can be pushed back without doing harm to the tree. Lead Organizer Deborah Caldwell said, “When we found out, we began to voice our opinions and get the citizens on Long Beach. It is huge. The community is overwhelming for keeping our tree because it is part of their history. They are very passionate about it.”