"This Live Oak Is Here to Stay": The Story of the Tree Being Saved in Winter Springs Town Center
A landmark live oak at the corner of Michael Blake and State Road 434 is being preserved and rehabilitated as the Winter Springs Town Center develops around it. Here's the story behind the tree that's staying.
If you have driven past the corner of Michael Blake Boulevard and State Road 434 lately, you have probably noticed the construction fencing, the equipment, and the cleared ground where the Town Center's newest development is taking shape. You may have also noticed something standing tall in the middle of it all: a sprawling, moss-draped live oak that has anchored that corner for decades.
That tree is staying. And right now, a local crew is working to make sure it not only survives the construction around it, but comes out healthier on the other side.
A corner that has always been part of the plan
The development going in here is known as the Seahawk Cove Extension, part of the larger Winter Springs Town Center District. The site is slated to bring new neighborhood staples to the area, with a 7 Brew Coffee, a dentist office, and a children's learning center among the uses planned for the property.
The project has drawn its share of frustration from neighbors, and understandably so. A number of trees came down where the learning center is going, and nobody in Oviedo or Winter Springs enjoys watching mature canopy disappear for a coffee stand or a strip of storefronts.
At the same time, this stretch of 434 has been designated for exactly this kind of growth for a long time. The Town Center District was created to concentrate commercial development in one walkable, mixed-use core rather than scattering it across the community. The reasoning behind it is simple: if Winter Springs is going to grow, the Town Center is where that growth is supposed to happen. That does not make the loss of any single tree easier to watch, but it is the framework the city has followed for years.
The tree that made the cut
Not every tree on the site was destined for removal. As a condition tied to the development, the developer agreed to preserve the large live oak near the corner of Michael Blake Boulevard and State Road 434, a roughly 52-inch specimen oak that is easily one of the most striking natural features left on the property.
Preserving a tree this size through active construction is not as simple as putting a fence around it and hoping for the best. Heavy equipment, grading, and changes to the soil and drainage around a mature oak can quietly damage the root system long before the canopy shows any sign of stress. Saving a tree like this one takes a plan.
Meet the crew keeping it alive
That plan is being carried out by A Budget Tree Service, and one of their team members, Dale Meagher, shared what is happening on a local community page this week.
According to Dale, the live oak is currently in a slightly declined state, and the tree protection measures now in place will make a real difference through the construction process by reducing impact on its root system. Beyond just protecting the tree, the crew is planning a complete root treatment, including root invigoration and soil amendments, to actively improve the oak's health.
Dale said it best: "This live oak is here to stay."
It is a small but meaningful reminder that development and preservation are not always an either/or. With the right conditions written into an agreement and the right people doing the work, a landmark tree can remain part of the community even as the corner around it changes.
Want to follow the project?
The City of Winter Springs maintains a public development tracker where residents can follow the details of projects like this one. You can view it here:
Development Tracker: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/0a4655d723e54ba5b1264c4dbcc9aaf4
And you can learn more about the crew doing the preservation work at A Budget Tree Service: https://www.abudgettreeservice.com/
We know development in the Town Center is a topic Winter Springs neighbors feel strongly about, on both sides. When a project moves forward, what matters most to you: preserving the trees and green space we already have, the new businesses and services coming in, or the way the two are balanced? Let us know in the comments.
— I Love Oviedo Winter Springs
