According to a release from the city, the remainder of a 250-year-old red oak tree at Woodland Park will be removed during the first week of February if weather permits, said Cathy Mobley, public service supervisor for the Lexington Division of Parks and Recreation.
The tree has suffered ice storm and lightning damage and is diseased. The top of the tree has already been removed.
The tree is near the park’s border with Kentucky Avenue and was part of the set of Shakespeare in the Park’s first productions more than 30 years ago.
The red oak and other trees in Woodland Park were damaged by the ice storm that hit Lexington in 2003. As a result of being struck by lightning, the tree's health finally deteriorated. An inspection by a city arborist determined it had heart rot and was structurally weak.