Arlington Park Residents Hope To Save Pink Floyd, A 200-Year-Old Grand Oak Tree

SARASOTA, FL — Arlington Park residents will host a vigil Friday evening in support of saving Pink Floyd, a grand oak tree estimated to be more than 200 years old.

Supporters of the tree will gather at 2446 Floyd St. from 5 to 6 p.m., according to a news release from Flo Entler, the rally’s organizer.

The tree gets its name from its location on Floyd Street and a pink ribbon tied around its trunk indicating that it might need to be removed.

Pink Floyd is located on property that a developer recently purchased and hopes to develop as five separate lots, Entler told Patch. If his plans go forward, the tree would be torn down.

“He doesn’t care. He just wants to make money for himself and a name for himself,” she said. “He doesn’t care about this beautiful tree that has been here for longer than any of us.”

Entler has also launched an online petition to save Pink Floyd and to convince the developer not to remove it. As of Thursday morning, 577 people have signed it.

“A tree permit is waiting in the wings so the developer can have the tree taken down. This beautiful oak is an icon in our neighborhood. There are several other grand oaks on the same property with pink ribbons a well,” she wrote at ipetitions.com.

Lorrie Muldowney, a historic preservation consultant and member of the Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation board of directors, has lived in the neighborhood for 30 years.

She told Patch that trees such as Pink Floyd and other landscaping can have a historic impact and be preserved through historic registries.

The tree adds to the character of Arlington Park, she added. “For those who have lived here a long time, it’s a natural landmark, a tree I have personally admired over the years as I’ve walked the neighborhood, and it makes this place special.”

Muldowney thinks that if the city, neighbors and the developers work together, they can find a solution to saving the tree.

“What I’ve learned from historic buildings or really, working my whole career on preserving historic buildings, is these can present complex problems and sometimes answers to these problems — how to save a building or how to save a tree — they take deeper thought. They take time and thoughtfulness,” she said. “I would challenge the community, the developer, the neighborhood to come up with a creative solution …. I think there is a way to preserve the tree and also develop the site.”