Lots of question marks

But some fear things could change down the line as the plan gets tweaked, said Suzee Bailey, president of the Nurmi Isles Homeowners Association.

“They make it seem like this is a feather floating through the air and there is nothing definite yet,” she said. “There’s just a lot of question marks. And that has a lot of people scared and concerned.”

So far, Fort Lauderdale is out nearly $1 million just to come up with a plan, Bailey noted.

“Now they are saying it’s just a vision,” she said. “That’s a lot of money for just a vision.”

But all roads lead back to Las Olas and those olive trees.

The boulevard just won’t be the same without that landscaped median down the middle, said Dave Meadors, the man from the Isles who sent commissioners that email saying their plan was downright crazy.

“They can’t just arbitrarily decide to take down 50 years of Las Olas,” he said. “It just doesn’t seem right. The trees are a tragedy to me. They are beautiful, and they are part of the fabric of Las Olas.”

Meadors still holds out hope city leaders will have a change of heart.

“It’s frustrating that I moved here because of the way the area looks and now they want to change it,” he said. “I might have to live with it, but I have a little hope it won’t happen.”

The way Meadors sees it, Las Olas belongs to all of us — but too many have no idea what’s coming.

“I don’t think a lot of people realize what’s going on,” he said. “When I talk to people, they have no clue what’s going on. I believe strongly they are going to destroy our area. And when they’re done, it’s not going to be what anybody wants.”