Tree Clear Cutting Shenanigans of Fort Worth's Havenwood Apartment's New Owner

See that faded X on the tree trunk? That tree trunk is located at the Havenwood Apartment complex at 6501 Boca Raton Boulevard in Fort Worth, Texas.

A couple years ago this property was sold to Mahesh P. Desai, operating out of Gaithersburg, Maryland, managing an investment firm called Capital Vision Management.

Mr. Desai had the vision to come to Texas and set up a subsidiary called Atlantic Multi Family IV which then bought the Havenwood Apartments, whose address is oddly listed in public records as the corporate headquarters of Atlantic Multi Family.

Soon after Mahesh Desai assumed ownership of the Havenwood Apartments tenants found a note on their door informing them that the trees of Havenwood were about to be cut down. A mass execution of dozens of trees which provided cooling shade and were aesthetically pleasing.

The residents of Havenwood were not happy to learn the Havenwood forest was about to be clear cut. Complaints were made to the Fort Worth agency which oversees things like trees.

Looking North at the Saved Havenwood Trees

The Havenwood Apartment complex is split in two by Boca Raton Blvd. The tree slaughter began on the south side of Boca Raton before the city was able to put a stop to it. However, the trees on the north side of Boca Raton, for the most part, were spared.

That note two years ago, about the clear cutting of the Havenwood trees, also said that new trees would be planted, along with new landscaping.

Well, let's take a look at the clear cut,  tree-less side of Havenwood.

But first, regarding the Havenwood clear cut, there is a website which rates apartments. The section about Havenwood on that website has generated more than a couple dozen reviews, including the one below regarding the Havenwood trees....

I was saddened to hear that virtually all the trees at Havenwood are to be unceremoniously chopped down. It's my opinion that this is nothing less that vandalism on a large scale. I will concede to the possibility of a few trees damaging foundations etc but not all of them. Majestic old trees will be lost. After scores of years they are to become sawdust in minutes. The color scheme of the buildings, though pleasing to the eye is such that dirt, dust and grime sticks to the rails and beams in the stairwells. Without the cover of trees this will become more evident and unless the new owners are to hose down the buildings on a regular basis the whole property will, in my opinion become a drab, dirty premises.The back of the property already looks dilapidated with no grass or decent plant life and it's been that way for years.

Consider also that without trees we'll have few, if any birds, no Jays, no Hummingbirds, no Mockingbirds and no Cardinals. Management says the whole area will be replanted with grass, plants and flowers. We'll see. In any event, no trees will mean, to me a barren land, a dust bowl full of drab brown buildings with every inch of the property looking exactly the same save for a few small Crape Myrtles here and there. 

So....new owners, drive your new investment into the ground if you will, give it the same reputation as some of the other properties I read about on this road (Boca Raton) and this website. I was happy here but it's deteriorated a lot. I think it may be time to start looking.
And now a look at how Havenwood looks in June of 2014....

First off below we are looking at part of what the person above referred to as the dilapidated back of the property

A tall leafy tree once stood above the barren spot you see, un-landscaped, above.

Several trees used to provide shade and block the morning sun from glaring into the windows you see here.

It's been two years and the three trees which were removed from the above location have not been replaced by any new trees, or any new landscaping.

Below is another view of the now barren south side of the Havenwood Apartments.

A row of trees stood along the east side of the above Havenwood location, and again, we note no new trees and no new landscaping.

Now, let's walk across Boca Raton to the north side of the property, where most of the trees were spared, and where, oddly, some new landscaping has taken place, unlike the now bleakly barren south side.

Below you see an area where several trees were removed, replaced with some shrubs, big rocks and gravel, making for a landscaping style one might see in a desert area, like Las Vegas or Phoenix.

The very oddest new landscaping element which has only been added to the northside of the property is large areas have been covered with thick layers of small, pea-sized rocks, which create quite a hazard when they spill on to steps and sidewalks.

The above makes one have a lot of confidence that the new Havenwood owner knows what he is doing, property improvement-wise.

Below is a look at another area covered with little rocks.

In the center of the above graveled area you are looking at one of the "saved" trees. You can barely see its "X" marked for execution spot.

When the trees were initially marked for execution the color used was white, making the "X's" very noticeable. After the stop the executions order was given eventually the "X's" were painted over with a brown color matching the bark color, to varying degrees of success.

Well, that concludes this look at the new landscaping at the Havenwood Apartments. Next we will take a look at how Mahesh P. Desai and his Capital Vision is turning Havenwood into the Spirit Airlines of apartment complexes.....