A group of determined New Haven residents are locked in a battle with Yale University over plans to cut down trees at a popular park.
The Ivy League university owns the park near the Yale Golf Course in the city's wealthy Westville neighborhood.
Locals are fighting the school's plan to cut down trees in the park, which they describe as a 'beloved' community resource.
Upper Westville alder Amy Marx, who lives a block away, said that although the park is owned by Yale, members of the Upper Westville Community Park Association turned it into an appealing greenspace 15 years ago.
It was 'overgrown with weeds' and had 'stuff dumped in it', she told the New Haven Register.
The group also fundraised to buy two benches, and Marx added it was a 'beloved part of the neighborhood.'
'You see elderly people taking walks... People walk through the park with their dogs,' she said.
However, Yale announced plans to cut down some trees in the park, a move opposed the park association strongly opposes.
Members of the Upper Westville Community Park Association turned the greenspace near the Yale Golf Course into a 'beloved' community resource
Locals are fighting the school's plan to cut down trees in the park even after they had an agreement with Yale to wait until both parties could do a 'walk through' and discuss the changes
Marx said she wanted the neighborhood to be consulted first.
'I don't think it's for me as an alder to dictate which trees come down… but it seems to me disrespectful and incredibly short-sighted not to have a community conversation,' she said.
She claims the group had an agreement with Yale to wait until both parties could do a 'walk through' and discuss the changes before any trees were cut down.
Despite this, Marx calims she recently saw trees being cut down in the park while she was taking her child to school.
'We were distressed to see the trees coming down,' she said.
Yale official Karen McIntosh later reportedly wrote an email to Marx explaining what happened.
'Due to their proximity to power lines, three trees at this location, including the one on which work has already begun, will be removed by Lewis Tree next week,' she wrote.
'Once work has begun, removal is expected to take 3-5 business days. NHPD will be on site while work is being performed to help ensure traffic and pedestrian safety.'
McIntosh reportedly told Marx they did not have an agreement to do a 'walk through' of the park before any tree cutting began.
Despite this, another twist in the tale came on Monday, when the group met at the park to discuss the issue with a reporter.
A spokesman for the utility company tasked with removing the trees suddenly called the group and told them the tree cutting was now actually on hold.
