Miami Springs, known as the ``Tree City'' because of the abundance of varieties of foliage, might find this title jeopardized by the recent clearing of Australian pine trees on Ludlam Drive.

Some residents are unhappy about the change as well.

``I've lived at 97 Ludlam since 1947, and those trees are part of the history in this community,'' said Mary Ann Goodlet-Taylor, chair of the Historic Preservation Board and curator of the Miami Springs Historical Museum. ``Glenn Curtiss planted those trees when he founded the city.''

The Turner Gilford Knight Prison is Goodlet-Taylor's new view.

``I feel for the people who live on that street; it's unfortunate. Those trees had a lot of sight and sound benefits,'' assistant City Manager Ron Gorland said.

Goodlet-Taylor said the lights from the prison are intrusive at night.

The order to have the trees removed came to Miami Springs City Council from Miami-Dade County's public works office a few months beforehand but word never reached residents until about a week before.

``No public hearings were held, and by the time a contractor was selected, I don't know how much residents could have done to stop it,'' City Manager Jim Borgmann said.

Borgmann presented diagrams of the tree replacement plan given to him by the county to the Miami Springs Council but was not instructed to do anything further.

Public Works officials say Australian pine trees are being cut all over Miami-Dade County in an effort to alleviate major flooding issues and overall damage caused by hurricanes and overflowing of canals.

The rationale does not fly with Goodlet-Taylor.

``If they kept the trees pruned and cleaned, this wouldn't have happened,'' she said.

The Flood Management Task Force, created by Miami-Dade commissioners in October 1999, recommended tree removal and dredging of the FEC/Borrow Canal.

The canal sits on land that is not owned by Miami-Dade County; yet, the county is still responsible for the canal, according to the Public Works Department.

``It is the county's canal and we have to maintain the water flow as it empties into the Miami canal on Okeechobee Road, which then empties into Miami River, so it is in our jurisdiction,'' spokesman Delfin Molins said.

``Instead of destroying these historic pine trees, the money should have been spent trimming and maintaining the trees, dredging the canal and fixing the FEC bridge which impedes water-flow and drainage,'' wrote Shirley Taylor-Prakelt, daughter of Goodlet-Taylor, in a letter to the editor for Neighbors.

As a solution to residents' concerns regarding the aesthetic value of the Australian pine trees, Miami-Dade Commissioner Rebeca Sosa organized a public information meeting on Oct. 15 to discuss replacement.

``The county has agreed to put in trees that are 22 feet high, and at some point Ludlam will be very attractive again,'' Gorland said.

The Public Works Department arborist's design includes native trees such as live oaks, gumbo limbo and bald cypresses.

``Ludlam Road has become an almost blighted area, but it is part of the transitional period,'' Gorland said.

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