AJC photo
The tree is a water oak,
estimated to be 80 to 100 years old, near the intersection of North
Avondale Road and Oak Street. It is scheduled to be cut down to make
way for a retail project that city officials hope will be the beginning
of a downtown makeover. The developer, Century
Retail, says its plan to bring condos, shops and a Publix store to the
four-block area won't work if they can't cut down the tree to make room
for a parking deck. But nearly three dozen residents tried Wednesday night to convince
city commissioners to demand that the oak be saved before they approve
the final development deal. As of this posting, the AJC reader poll is running 75% for saving it.