I am about to buy a new home which is being built on a smallish lot. There also lives a very large Live Oak, maybe as old as 100 years. An Arborist today told me that this Oak's survival was very much in question, perhaps no more than a 20% chance- and that only after several years of intensive feeding and coaxing the roots back up towards the surface (the whole yard having been buried some two-three feet further than the original grade). The house slab is East of this tree by some 25 feet. A sidewalk and street is 3 feet to the West. Our driveway is the same measure to the North and a large trench was cut today to install some plumbing to the South by some 20 feet. My wife thinks we should demand the builder take the tree out now. And, at first, I agreed with her. But now I am angry and I do not want this tree to be cut down nor starved to death by this ruthless invation of me! I am looking for some advice and method to allow this tree and me to co-exist and with the same chances of survival. And soon. I need to make a decision.
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