There's a 300 year old tree, on private property, in Fontana on the North Shore, that's about to get cut down. The tree is being removed to build a house, a house that shouldn't have been allowed in the first place. Just to put it in perspective the tree was over 100 years old when Chief Big Foot was roaming the shores of Lake Geneva.

The good news is the chainsaw hasn't arrived yet, the bad news is we may be too late.

Oh, by the way, there's also a boat house being built on this property, within 35 or so feet of the lake, how does that happen? My understanding is this boat house is being built to serve the three residences on the property...really?

OK, so back to the tree...maybe it's so rotten inside it needs to come down anyway before it falls and hurts someone, the problem is we really don't know.

The land owners are the ones that commissioned an arboriculturist evaluation. Apparently that report said the tree was in bad shape. You should see this thing, it's old, massive and until someone besides the homeowner tells me it needs to come down I don't believe it. Unfortunately our leaders did.

In my opinion land owners, especially lake front land owners, are stewards of the property. Yes they own it and yes they should be allowed to build, but they shouldn't have the right to destroy history and nature for the sake of another 1000 square feet of house. There need to be limitations, rules with teeth, that limit a landowners rights and privileges within reason. A boat house? Are you kidding? Cutting down a historic tree without real reason? Unacceptable.

The message from the Village of Fontana to the land owner should have been... No you cannot build a boat house, no you cannot cut down the old tree, yes you may go back to the drawing board and design a house that fits on the property...simple right? Problem is we apparently have no limitations or rules in place in the Village to stop this sort of thing and no courage to fight the fight and preserve our Village.

The real problem I have is that the leaders of our community, the Trustees, have let this happen without much of a fight. They tell me there's been public hearings on the issue, but I work for a living. Trustees are elected, by the community, to preserve and protect us from this sort of unnecessary development. I respect the Trustees and their willingness to serve the community, it's a thankless job...but they wanted it.

There shouldn't even need to be a public hearing to stop this sort of development.

I admit, I don't know all the facts here, but I shouldn't have to. The people we elect should.

The simple truth is the Trustees haven't been looking out for the best long term interest in the village for years, but until this tree came along I just shrugged my shoulders like most people.

Listen, I started this little tree campaign of mine just this week because I learned of it's imminent demise. Late? Yes. Right? For Sure.

At the very least the Village of Fontana should hire an arborist to inspect the tree, until that happens no one should touch it.
Here's the last bit I don't quite understand...what mentality does the land owner have that actually WANTS to cut down a tree of that magnitude and history? Personally, I'd have a hard time looking my self in the mirror in my new 15,000 square foot house.

It's not all about the tree...
Charlie Harrett