GONZALES - For decades, two large Live Oak trees provided beauty and shade outside of a building along Airline Highway. In just one day, all of that history was erased. 

All that remains is a stump and a pile of debris outside of the now-abandoned Piccadilly Cafeteria in Gonzales. Residents of the area say the trees were a landmark and they are disappointed nothing was done to save the trees from destruction.

"We're gonna miss it. The people that just moved here, out of town people, it's just another tree cut down. But not the people of Gonzales, or the people of St. Amant, of Dutchtown, of Prairieville," said Buzzy Landry, a lifelong resident.

Landry is almost 80 years old and said he has always admired the tree. Despite numerous businesses setting up shop nearby, the trees have been preserved up until now. 

"Always, everybody tried to save the tree," said Landry.

A Chick-fil-A is planned for the lot. The short-sighted greed affecting the environment is a growing concern among the community. 

"If people see that they can do this and there is no recourse or punishment, then what's to stop people from continuing to do it?" Sage Foley, Executive Director of Baton Rouge Green, said. 

Foley said they keep running into the same issues because, despite a tree being registered as historical, there are no consequences to the developers for cutting them down. The community pays the price by losing a tree that provides a natural habitat for wildlife, shade, and preventing rainwater runoff. 

"A mature live oak like that can prevent the runoff of over 1,000 gallons of stormwater each year," Foley said.

Friday, someone placed a photo of the Lorax at one of the tree stumps. The Lorax is a Dr. Suess story about the destruction of trees due to corporate greed. 

In order to stop this from happening in the future, Foley recommends bringing the issue up to the city council member for the district you live in. Ordinances can be created to protect historic trees from being cut down.