“Leave the characteristic lime tree in the Generaal Maczekplantsoen alone,” say Zwaan and Givenes Evenhuis, who live near the park. Today, on behalf of 57 other Emmen residents, they filed a lawsuit with the Council of State against the zoning plan for the construction of twelve homes on the corner of Veenkampenweg and Parallelweg. The thirty-year-old lime tree stands in the way of this and must disappear.
The tree is on one of the building plots. “Then build one less house,” Evenhuis said in the direction of developer Ben Timmermans of BT Beheer BV. The lime tree is not very old, but it stands on a spot where the liberation of Emmen by Polish soldiers used to be commemorated.
The commemoration has been taking place in Noordbarge for years, but the lime tree has remained a memorial tree. The objectors believe that the municipal council shows too little respect for the cultural-historical significance of the park and the tree. They emphasize that they are not against housing construction in their backyard. The municipality of Emmen states that the lime tree does not have a protected status. This means that it can simply be cut down and developer BT Beheer, who owns the land and trees, could even have done that already.
Developer Timmermans had wanted to start building a road and sewerage after the Christmas holidays. The necessary material has already been supplied. Due to the lawsuit against the zoning plan at the Council of State, Timmermans has not yet done anything. “I want to walk the royal road,” he said. Any suspension of the zoning plan will cause him significant damage due to delays, his lawyer said.
Timmermans does not appear to be insensitive to the objections. He has had it investigated whether the tree can be moved and that is feasible, he told the judge. The lime tree would then move to public greenery in the middle of the new district. “Just tucked away in a courtyard,” said Givenes Evenhuis. According to him, no guarantees have been given that the tree will survive a move. “Just leave it alone,” he says.
The judge is expected to announce a ruling in about two weeks.