Rockport determined to take care of its picturesque oaks

Rockport, Corpus Christi's neighbor just up the coast, is a place of multiple charms. However, if you were to ask anyone, tourist or local, what tops the list, the answer 99 out of 100 times would be: It's the trees.

Rockport's dramatic stands of oaks, gnarled by decades of exposure to the Gulf winds, are the first things to capture the attention of the visitor. Long after other images fade from memory, the sight of those trees, forced into all manner of extravagant shapes, lingers on. The oaks do not represent the totality of Rockport's visual personality, but they are its centerpiece.

And Rockport residents deserve full credit for recognizing as much. As the charms of Rockport have attracted more families and businesses, the need to safeguard the oaks and encourage orderly development has become clear. The community's leadership has given high priority to protecting the trees. While there was some skepticism initially, now there is a community-wide consensus on the need to maintain this delicate balance.

Rockport planners, led by Mike Henry, director of building and development, are now pondering modifications to the tree ordinance that has been in effect since the 1980s. The object is to set out reasonable and intelligible rules to guide developers interested in becoming a presence in Rockport.

Support for the effort is all but unanimous, and that definitely goes for the business community. You won't hear derisive talk about "tree-huggers" there. Indeed, you could say Rockport has become a community of tree-huggers - and is better off for it.

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