DAMAGED TREE REMOVAL FORCES STREET CLOSURE

The 700 block of Frances Street will be closed on Tuesday, Oct. 29, so a large, damaged tree can be safely removed, according to city spokeswoman Alyson Crean.

Earlier this month, the Key West Tree Commission voted unanimously to grant an emergency tree removal permit.

The tree has been heavily pruned through its century of life, and a recent 12-inch crack in the middle of the tree made it unsafe. Part of the problem, according to a risk assessment by consultant New Leaf Environmental, is that the tree predates electrical power lines. Once those were installed in the early 1900s, the tree was trimmed in a deep “V” to keep the branches away from the electrical lines. The weight of the tree and the way in which it was trimmed caused a 7-foot-long vertical crack in the trunk, which recently widened.

The wood from the tree will be made available for artists, furniture makers, artisans and citizens through Florida Keys Council of the Arts’ Art in Public Places Board, Crean said.

Once the tree is removed, it will be replaced with one that will better thrive under the existing power lines.