HOUSTON — More than 4,000 people have signed an online petition to save trees in Montrose.
On Sunday, some residents showed up in person to protest the plan to cut the trees down while others showed up in support of the project.
The multi-million dollar improvement project is being led by the Montrose Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone, which is commonly referred to as TIRZ.
The project is set to improve roadway mobility by reconstructing roads and medians as well as widening sidewalks to make them more pedestrian-friendly. Another goal of the project is to reduce flooding threats.
Part of the project includes cutting down 57 trees, but TIRZ said they will be replaced by 137 new ones. They also said that no healthy live oak trees would be removed.
Some residents said they didn't find out about the project until about a week ago and others want the plans to be reevaluated.
"We think the project should be placed on hold until true public input and honest attempt at re-engineering to save trees can be performed," Jonna Hitchcock, who started the online petition, said.
Others said they think the project will do great things, especially when it comes to safety when they walk their kids to school.
"We're super excited about having an increased walking path, increased shade, increased infrastructure. We're super excited about this," North Montrose Civic Association board member Mehdi Rais, who's also a parent and Montrose resident, said.
Rais is also an appointee to TIRZ 14, which is not part of the Montrose project.
The next steps for the TIRZ is to review public comments and give responses on Nov. 20. Then, they'll complete a final design for segment one of the project in the fall of this year before starting construction in early 2024.
Public comments are open until Oct. 18. If you'd like to be heard, send an email to info@montrosehtx.org.