GONZALES - At the stump of the old "Piccadilly tree," onlookers will notice two signs—an "RIP" and a photo of the Lorax, both placed by upset members of the community. 

The historic tree, estimated to be up to 200 years old, was butchered last Thursday in favor of a new Chick-fil-A restaurant at the former Piccadilly Cafeteria. The tree, located at the corner of East Ascension Street and Airline Highway, was fondly regarded as a landmark by residents in the area. 

Interim Mayor Ryland Percy says the city is now considering an ordinance that would protect future historic trees from an unfortunate demise as the city continues to develop at a rapid pace. 

"We have called the Louisiana Municipal Association and asked them to check with other cities to see if there are any appropriate ordinances that we can put in to keep this from happening in the future," Percy said. 

To help mitigate deforestation in the area, Mayor Percy said the local government has made an effort to plant more trees since 2020.

"We've planted over 2,000 trees over the last three years in the city of Gonzales so this is a prime concern of ours," Percy said.

While the city cannot dictate what citizens do on private property, they do think trees with historic value deserve protection from the law in some way. Until a solution is agreed upon, Percy says the city will continue to beautify the environment through their efforts. 

"We apply for every grant that we can to help with beautification of the city and there will be some taxpayer money involved as well but it's all budgeted and it's important to the people here," Percy said.

A Gonzales City Council meeting was held Monday afternoon but there was no discussion about an ordinance for trees.