NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Neighbors in West Meade have reached a breakthrough agreement with a developer to protect decades-old trees from clear-cutting, offering hope for preserving the neighborhood's tree canopy.
After watching lot after lot stripped bare, leaving only tree stumps behind, resident Blair Tramel knew action was needed.
"It's a visual message for sure," Tramel said, looking at another cleared lot with only nubs left standing.
The community mobilized around what they realized was one of their most valuable assets.
"A lot of us have lived here so long we forget the trees are one of our greatest assets," Tramel said.
Despite growing tension with developers, Tramel helped broker an understanding with one builder that resulted in a signed memorandum with the West Meade Neighborhood Association.
"We realized as a community we have to continue to develop some kind of neighborhood identity around the trees," she said.
The agreement requires the developer to work with an arborist on future developments to identify critical trees and contribute to preserving the tree canopy. When Tramel explained the community's priorities, the developer understood.
"You mean this is kinda like your thing in West Meade and yeah, it's kind of our thing," she said, recounting their conversation.
The developer committed to honoring the agreement.
"People are good when you ask someone to do something. I am morally bound to stay with my promise," biologist Willi Honegger said.
Honegger is helping implement the preservation strategy, showing developers how proper soil and root treatment can save existing trees during construction.
"It's not only cutting it's also preserving the trees you left," Honegger said.
He pointed to a nearby developed lot where proper tree care was ignored, resulting in visible damage.
"They have yellow or light colored leaves and they'll probably die early. Look at this tree here. It's more or less dead," Honegger said.
The community hopes this middle-ground approach will become the standard for future development.
"If you're moving here you're gonna have to live with the trees I think because people are really really starting to show pride in them," Tramel said.
The neighborhood association is working to secure similar agreements with other developers in the area.
Is your neighborhood facing similar tree cutting or development issues? I want to hear how communities are protecting what makes their areas special. Email me at Amanda.Roberts@NewsChannel5.com
This story was reported on-air by Amanda Roberts and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
