Pines get ax as Springs goes native

Last week, about a dozen of the pine trees were cut down. By August, the row of environmentally intrusive trees will be gone.

So, too, will be the dense green wall that has stood between the lull of the Springs and the urban reality of busy Okeechobee Road, Hialeah factories and transient motels.

``You can see all the traffic,'' said Sadie Chait, a Miami Springs resident for 45 years. ``I had hoped they would leave the pine trees.''

Not for long, said Steve Johnson, Miami Springs city planner.

The pines along the northern border of the city, which are not native to Florida, will be replaced by clusters of Bald Cypress and Pond Apple trees, he said. In August, partially grown trees will be planted, many which grow to 100 feet tall.

``The new trees will provide a solid visual block,'' Johnson said. ``You won't be able to see Okeechobee Road or Hialeah.''

The $300,000 project, approved by the city council two years ago, is being funded by the city and the South Florida Water Management District.

``This is a reforestation of native plants from Crane Avenue to Cardinal Street,'' Johnson said. ``There are no plans to pull the pine trees on Ludlam.''

Trees are a serious issue in the Springs, which has twice earned the national award given to cities that care about greenery.

Two years ago, the City Council voted to approve the project partly because the pine trees can clog up the canal after a storm. After Hurricane Andrew, the Water Management District agreed to work with the city. The agency already had planned on removing the pine trees, Johnson said.

Julio Fanjul, director of the Miami-Dade regional service center of the water management district, said his organization will cover the cost of removing the trees and half of the new landscaping.

``We are trying to provide a landscape buffer,'' Fanjul said. ``We promised to remove the trees at the same time that we planted new trees.''

After several public meetings, the city and the water management district agreed on the type of trees that would replace the pines.

Jean Ansbaugh, a member of the city's Board of Parks and Parkways, said although she didn't like to see the pine trees taken out, she understands the reasons for it.

``You have to look ahead,'' she said. ``It's necessary. Eventually, the other trees will be really attractive.''

Said Chait, whose home is across from the stand of pines: ``We're hoping and praying that it works out.''