Old heritage oak destroyed for new bank

An old heritage oak was recently removed from a site near Bandera and 1604 where a new Falcon Bank is under construction. Developers of the bank opted not to change the location of a driveway in order to spare the tree.

Heritage oak tree destroyed for a bank's driveway

A surprise amendment to the tree ordinance, sponsored by Councilman Roland Gutierrez last November, enabled removal of the massive oak. Although the tree was protected under the ordinance, the developer is cashing in "tree credits" in lieu of preservation.

Gutierrez's amendment enabled use of the credits on this project. It also spawned an internet market for the millions of dollars worth of credits that were issued for trees standing in an undevelopable drainage easement.