Last week, Jasmine Gallup wrote about the vanishing old trees at a North Raleigh apartment complex and the prospect of the City of Oaks losing it nick-namesake tree canopy to development and more mysterious forces.

Reader William M. Bryant of Raleigh had some thoughts portending doom and gloom, which he mailed along to us in a handwritten note.

“This is a worldwide problem and it seems man cannot solve it,” Mr. Bryant wrote. “Never mind cause one of these years Mother Nature is going to get mad + it is going to be hell to pay!”

Facebook commenter Liz Rourke is similarly despondent, if on a smaller scale, adding to her post a photo of a tree clearing in another Raleigh neighborhood:

“It’s too late for North Hills, as shown by this photo taken today. When the McMansion-ing started here, there were fenced off ‘Tree Protection Zones’ so some tall trees were maintained. Now it is shameless clear-cutting. The charm and character of an established neighborhood is gone. So too are the benefits of those trees, such as providing shade to keep a/c costs down. I’m disappointed in Raleigh’s near surrender to developers.” 

And Instagram commenters had lots to say:

“Raleigh, the city of strip malls and antiseptic new homes,” wrote @mike.feral.

“Builders couldn’t care less about trees, streams, animals, conservation, etc. Just Google urban sprawl and then drive around Wake Co and the surrounding counties! Someone is approving all the development of non essential garbage, where’s the investigation into that land? I DO NOT need access to 7 grocery stores in under 5 minutes. Glad these folks are getting their voice heard, sad it’s too late,” wrote @mbchase24.

“I have seen it happen on two huge lots with old growth trees and undergrowth, and it was not developers. Both clear cuttings were done by the new owners. It causes a lot more trouble than just aesthetics and lack of forest life,” wrote @pnwgirl77.

Some commenters didn’t like our framing:

“I like Indy, but the creep into misleading headlines to support the nimbys is disappointing. If you’re going to comment about growth in Raleigh without reading the story: This is an existing apartment complex removing trees and the main person upset about it moved here within the last year ,” wrote @chrislawson24.

And for some, sins of the past still linger in their memories: 

“What happened to the trees when they leveled Country Club Homes on Oberlin can never be forgiven,” wrote @whomekate. 

While others look to the future:

“Go to the city meetings where they approve the developments! Speak up and vote,” wrote
@arthur_in_the_garden. 

“City of Oak Stumps,” wrote @laurenmarkley.

Support independent local journalism. 

Join the INDY Press Club to help us keep fearless watchdog reporting and essential arts and culture coverage viable in the Triangle.

Send your comments to [email protected].   

Jane Porter is Wake County editor of the INDY, covering Raleigh and other communities across Wake County. She first joined the staff in 2013 and is a former INDY intern, staff writer, and editor-in-chief.