DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — A massive banyan tree discovered during renovations at the Delray Beach Golf Club has sparked a preservation battle between Delray Beach city officials who want to protect what they believe may be the largest tree in South Palm Beach County and Lake Worth drainage officials who say it poses a flood risk.
WATCH BELOW: 'It's been there for the better part of 70 years, it has never caused any issues,' Samuel Metott tells WPTV
The tree, with a canopy spanning at least half an acre, was uncovered when construction crews cleared overgrown brush during the golf course renovation.
What the city initially believed was a row of banyan trees turned out to be one enormous tree.
"We were amazed at the size, the canopy of this tree is at least half an acre," said Jason Kaufman, engineering division manager for the public works department in Delray Beach. "The city believes it's a historic tree, it's been here since at least the mid 1950s and it could qualify for certain designations."
Arborists have rated the tree in good condition and recommend keeping it, according to Kaufman.
"It's gone through many, many storms here in the city, we feel it's a treasure we'd like to keep," Kaufman said.
However, the tree's age and massive size may lead to its removal. The banyan has grown into a canal and beyond city property limits, extending into the jurisdiction of the Lake Worth Drainage District, whose officials said it must be removed.
"This tree could topple over into the E-3 canal, which is one of our major thoroughfares, it's like an I-95 for water through South Florida within our district. It could actually stop the flow of water during a major rain event and cause flooding in communities from north of Boca all the way into Lake Worth," said Tommy Strowd, executive director and district engineer for the Lake Worth Drainage District.
Strowd explained that banyan trees are not native to Florida and are not very stable in Florida soil. He said if the tree falls into the canal, removal would be complex and time-consuming.
"When these large trees fall into a canal, you can't just pull these things out, they're large and you have to have heavy equipment maybe a crane, if you don't have a suitable staging area you may actually have divers in the water cutting the limbs out and pulling the tree out in pieces so it could take days to remove a tree that only took a few minutes to fall in," Strowd said.
During Tuesday's city commission meeting, Delray Beach staff noted that if the tree were to fall, the city would remove it anyway but that they would need to add a clause to the city debris removal contract.
"We have to weigh the aesthetic of the tree and the potential hazard," Strowd said.
Despite the concerns, city commissioners, the golf course designer and the contractor remain committed to preserving the tree.
"It's been there for the better part of 70 years, it has never caused any issues in any way shape or form," said Samuel Metott, director of parks and recreation for the city of Delray Beach.
The city plans to apply for a variance to keep the tree, a process that could take months and potentially delay the golf course renovation that has already been 10 years in the making.
"We're hoping that it's minimal delays if any. Shovels have hit the ground, we have a ton of movement here, construction is underway and we're really excited about the renovation to the golf course," Metott said.
He noted that crews are ahead of schedule so potential permitting delays may be offset by the construction progress.
The golf club renovation is expected to be complete by November, featuring two redesigned 9-hole golf courses by renowned architects Donald Ross and Dick Wilson, along with new cart paths and renovated facilities.
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