By now you [Jared York] have become acquainted with a staggering amount of pejoratives describing you or your actions. I do not intend to add to this list at this time, but to register my complaint with your behavior towards my community.

For over 20 years, I’ve lived about two blocks from your current construction project.  When the house at the corner of 380 Talmadge Dr. suddenly disappeared, I was slightly surprised. It’s been a while since houses have been demolished wholesale in the neighborhood. What didn’t surprise me was the question that soon followed: “What are your plans for the hundred-year oak tree, Jared?”

Make no mistake; this letter is not about a tree or its destruction. It is about how you have interacted with the community I live in and what type of businessperson you have shown yourself to be.

When the question was asked, it seems that you did not answer it in the spirit of full disclosure.  I’m sure you feel satisfied that you left yourself with an out by stating that you had no current plans to take the tree down.  It probably seemed like a good idea to placate the surrounding residents long enough to ensure they didn’t do anything to slow your project down.  After your statement to Flagpole, many of my fellow Normaltown folks started to sound like conspiracy theorists. I’ve read a lot of rambling emails guessing about your future intentions. I gave you the benefit of the doubt.

Alas, workers under your direction cut down that massive tree Oct. 15. After reading the news about it, I have a lot of questions.

Was this always your plan, or was it really your client’s decision to remove the offending growth? 

If it was always your plan to cut down the tree, you should have been honest with the community and stated your case as to how your construction benefits the neighborhood for the future.  If you really don’t feel bad about it, as you stated to Flagpole,  why did you purposely lead us all to believe that you were listening to the community, going so far as to subscribe to the Normaltown newsletter?  If this is what you wanted all along, why not take responsibility for it?

If this is really the decision of your client, why would you make that information public? If this was your client’s request, they apparently are not interested in making a good first impression.  Did you let them know about the input you received about the tree issue? The community is outraged, and if your client is the ultimate arbiter of why that giant oak is in pieces on the ground, they will be regarded as the neighborhood villains. If I were your client, I don’t think I’d want to be brought into the middle of this conflict.  Do you not feel a responsibility for your client’s reputation?

If you are just scapegoating your clients, shirking your responsibility for your acts and lack of honest communication, then you are a deplorable businessman.  If you are the one person that made this decision but decided to use some sort of Nuremberg defense to absolve you of your actions in this affair, then you have failed your clients. I wonder how comfortable they will feel living in a community that blames them for such an awful act of betrayal. Were you just following orders, Jared?  Did you ever tell us the truth about anything?

I’ll be leaving this neighborhood in the near future.  I’ve bought some land.  I need to build a house.  I’ve been told you are a good builder, committed to the environment and that you care about our city.  Now I know better. You owe my community a better explanation and an apology.

Blake Tanner

Athens

P.S. You should note that I did not call you a spineless weasel.