CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — After it emerged last week that University of Virginia officials plan to cut down decades-old magnolias that surround the Rotunda as part of a renovation of the historic structure, students are rallying in a bid to save the trees.
“It takes years to grow that,” said fourth-year student Brittany Saunders of Purcellville. “It’s something you can’t replace.”
She said she feels the trees are “the backdrop to the Rotunda.”
Students have started an online petition that, in less than a day, garnered 1,800 signatures, organizers said. There are also two Facebook pages opposing the trees’ removal, one of which also brings up the renovation’s expected impact on graduation, as well as a separate petition asking that the start of construction be delayed so it doesn’t affect this spring’s ceremony.
“I was appalled that the Board of Visitors would even consider such an action,” wrote third-year student Yatzek Krzepicki of Ashburn in an e-mail.
Students plan to present the petition, along with a formal letter, to university officials.
“What it shows is our students’ passion for this place, and especially for the Rotunda and the Academical Village,” said UVa spokeswoman Carol Wood. “It reaffirms what we know to be true, that this is the heart of the Grounds, and that sense of place is important to our students.”
Wood pointed to a culture of environmental responsibility that University Architect David Neuman’s office has fostered.
“But as the university architect, he is called on to make difficult decisions, and in this case he cannot put the Rotunda in jeopardy,” Wood said.
Wood said the decision to fell the trees wasn’t made lightly. In a presentation to the university’s Board of Visitors last week, Neuman said the trees would come down to allow scaffolding to go up as workers replace much of the Rotunda’s existing roof. The scaffolding, in turn, is needed to hold a giant tent that will cover the building as workers repair the roof. Officials also said the trees could fall or drop branches in a storm, potentially damaging the Rotunda.
A statement from the Office of the Architect released Wednesday said some trees might be saved during the roof work, but would ultimately be destroyed by further renovation anyway.
“The upcoming replacement of the Rotunda roof will impact the magnolias due to required scaffolding, materials lifts and access points, although some of the trees could be preserved throughout the process,” the statement reads. “The larger Rotunda restoration project, however, will most definitely cause the removal of the magnolias.”
The statement says magnolias were first planted in the area sometime between 1903 and 1914, though Neuman told the board that it’s not clear if the current denizens of the courtyards are the original trees or their successors. The statement also calls a mature magnolias “a massive tree (of a scale) not appropriate adjacent to historic buildings.”
While the more than $4 million in combined state and UVa-raised funding for the leaking roof has been secured, the rest of the funding for the roughly $50 million project remains uncertain. University officials are hoping the state will pick up about half the tab, with the school raising the rest.
“It is our No. 1 priority on our capital program for the next (two-year budget cycle) for the governor to consider,” said Colette Sheehy, vice president for management and budget at UVa.
The Wednesday statement from Neuman’s office said some sort of tree will be planted in the courtyards that currently house the magnolias after the work is done. Planners want a species that won’t cause structural or moisture damage (a concern with evergreen magnolias, which hinder evaporation) to the building, the statement says.
“This species could be anything from a dwarf southern magnolia, to a deciduous magnolia or small, ornamental tree,” it reads.