By David Dunham
The future of historic pohutukawa trees in a Tauranga park that have been threatened with the chop will be decided following a public meeting next month.
Tauranga City Council's chief executive Stephen Town said no final decision had been made on what to do with the seven trees at
Fergusson Park that are at risk of being cut down because of an old legal deed protecting views along one of Tauranga's most upmarket streets.
However, he said it was inevitable something would have to be done with the council-owned trees - that are up to 70-years-old - and it would involve either pruning or removal.
A decision would be made by councillors after a yet-to-be-arranged public meeting about the trees in March, Mr Town said.
The trees were planted by one of Matua's original settler families and are a prominent feature of the hillside above the park.
The Bay of Plenty Times reported in early January that they halted the sale of a subdivided piece of land at 139 Waratah St.
The failed sale provoked the owner to ask whether the trees - which are on an embankment between 131 and 141 Waratah St - could be felled under the terms of a covenant dating back to when the original farm started to be cut up for development in the early 1960s.
The covenant came with the transfer of the title on the piece of land now owned by the council and was put in place to ensure residents would not lose their views from their properties.
But news of the threat to trees planted when the area was farmed by the late Charles and Audrey Tilby alarmed some local residents.
A sign was put on one of the trees earlier this month telling people to call Mr Town with their views on the future of the trees.
Mr Town said he had received about 10 calls from people. He said some people wanted the covenant adhered to while others wanted the trees retained.
Mr Town said letters would go out to 140 residents to inform them of the details of the public meeting.
"We are going to draw a line in the middle of the argument. It could involve some pruning or removal," he said.
"I will be consulting the council before we make a call on what to do."
