As a stark contrast to the mostly all-asphalt Pinellas County, the oak trees of Safety Harbor are unique and are part of the city's charm.
But with increasing development in the northern part of the county, about 200 trees a year are being removed in the area. The latest target is the branches that have created a canopy over much of the area near the Safety Harbor Resort and Spa.
"We’re very unique in that we are surrounded by so much concrete in Pinellas County but Safety Harbor is this little haven," said Safety Harbor resident Terrie Dahl-Thomas.
Several residents were upset when they heard many of the trees surrounding the spa, some of them likely more than 100 years old, are slated to be cut down to build a parking lot.
"I think if you take a tree down, it’s almost like you kill somebody," said spa visitor Christina Pecenkovic. "You can’t reverse it.”
The trees at the spa that are already set to be removed are marked and it’s most likely too late for them because the removal was permitted through the county.
However, now the city is hoping to take some of that responsibility back.
Safety Harbor officials are working on an ordinance of their own. Mayor Andy Steingold said the city's ordinance will be tougher than the county's and will charge more for permits to remove trees.
The ordinance is still in the works and will have to go before the city commissioners for a vote.
"Every voice counts and I hope our politicians listen to us," Dahl-Thomas said. "If these (trees) were taken down, it’s going to change the whole dynamic of the neighborhood."