BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Neighbors in one Melbourne community are up in arms with a Brevard County construction project, and it's not the installation they say is the issue.

What You Need To Know

  •  A sidewalk project was approved in Melbourne's Oak Forest neighborhood in 2017

  •  A $500,000 FDOT grant is funding the project to make current sidewalks ADA compliant

  • Residents are against the project, though, because it requires the removal of several very old oak trees

The Oak Forest neighborhood — located in Melbourne off John Rodes Boulevard — is named for the 100-year-old oak trees lining the street — trees that are now being removed to make way for a sidewalk.

"That's one of the reasons they named it Oak Forest, because the beautiful, majestic trees," Oak Forest resident Brian Luby said., 

"We're going to be putting a sidewalk in," Luby says the crew working on site told him. "That's great," he told them. "Yeah, but we're going to be taking all the trees out," they responded.

Brevard County officials say the existing sidewalk violates code because it's only 5 feet wide.

In order to comply with American Disabilities Act standards, the sidewalk must be 8 feet wide.

Officials said there is little room to work with and the oaks' roots are tearing up the existing sidewalk, so keeping the trees isn't possible.

Brevard County spokesman Don Walker issued a statement saying in part: "We acknowledge there have been coordination and communication issues, and while it would have not likely changed the project, it certainly would have changed the dynamic in the spirit of trying to collaborate and come to a resolution with residents."

The project was given the green light in 2017, and the $500,000 Florida Department of Transportation grant had to be used within a certain time frame.​

Luby said all of his neighbors want a new sidewalk — especially down one street where there isn't currently a walkway — they are against removing the old oaks to get it.

"We support what the county is doing, we just don't like the way it's happening," Luby said. "We're here to fight for (the trees), but we've lost this battle."

There are currently other areas of Brevard County where residents are also trying to keep trees from being removed along stretches of roadway.

For the past two years, neighbors on Rockledge Drive in Rockledge have been going back and forth with county officials over the proposal to remove dozens of oaks trees.

The plan to remove or cutback the trees was proposed in response to multiple crashes that involved vehicles hitting a tree or low hanging branches.

County officials also said several of the trees are dead and Florida Department of Transportation regulations require enough clearance for large trucks and emergency vehicles to get through.

Right now residents say the issue is in the hands of attorneys.