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Progress might fell tree Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Jacksonville may lose its Christmas tree in the spring if plans are approved for the construction of two buildings on the site, which has been used as a park for decades. Old-style buildings are planned for a Jacksonville lot now used as a park By MEG LANDERS Mail Tribune JACKSONVILLE - This may be the last season for the Christmas tree on the corner of California and Third streets. The tree sits on a lot owned by Robertson Collins, a developer who is ready to build after leaving the property vacant for more than 30 years. A representative for Collins will present plans for the new building at tonight's City Council meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. at Old City Hall. The city has used the property as a park for decades, with activities ranging from school photo shoots to Christmas caroling. And at the start of every Victorian Christmas season, the large tree on the lot is "magically" lit by Santa at the conclusion of the Christmas parade. Judith Wells is sorry to see the Christmas tree go. "It's just sort of a nostalgic thing," says the chairwoman of this year's Victorian Christmas Ball, who works at Anna Maria's Wine Tasting Room. While she understands that removing the tree is a necessary step in the proposed development of the property, she says she's sentimental about the parade's tree-lighting ceremony. The plans, designed by architect Scott M. Pigman of Grants Pass, include two one-story buildings that will be replicas of Beekman's Express and the adjacent lawyer's office, two businesses in that location in the 1850s. The plans have been approved by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The plans include three stairsteps that would extend 12 inches onto the sidewalk. Collins needs the council's approval of the encroachments on the city right-of-way before he can submit the building plans to the Planning Commission on Dec. 12. They will be presented to the Historic Architectural Review Committee on Dec. 19. Some downtown merchants' objections go beyond the removal of a tree. "I think it's sad that we're going to lose the image that that corner's become," says Jeff Levin, owner of MacLevin's restaurant. Clubs and individuals use the corner throughout the year for activities, he says, and he's enjoyed the greenery it's brought to the downtown area. He also doesn't want to see the old advertisements on the side of the adjacent building covered up. Levin says he'd rather see no development at all, and would like to see Collins help preserve the area that the city's been using as a park. "Let him donate it to the city of Jacksonville as a green spot," says Levin. But that's not what's in the plans. "We're hoping to start the building project if everything goes well in March-April," says Marshall Lango, agent for the project who manages Collins' three other properties in Jacksonville. From hand-blown window glass to wide floorboards and long shakes, unique historical features will require extra attention in construction, says Lango. "Everything about this is going to be specialized," he says. He says he sees this not as an end to a tradition but as way to help reconstruct Jacksonville's history. Ann Pryse, a Jacksonville resident who works at Alexandra's clothing store, says she looks forward to the addition of the historic buildings, but she has heard some grumblings. "Nobody likes change, whether it's good or bad," she says. Pryse says she doesn't have any objection to Collins' plans. "When someone owns a piece of property," she says, "it's their property." Reach reporter Meg Landers at 776-4481 or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.