In what was an admittedly hard decision, the Kyle City Council voted to remove a 51-inch live oak known as the Old Stagecoach Road Tree at its April 8 meeting, but they say their thinking was swayed by the fact its wood will go to good use.

Prior to the vote during the council’s online meeting, Mayor Travis Mitchell added an amendment that the harvested wood be used for art projects to be displayed in public parks including Heroes Park. Mitchell named council members Tracy Scheel, Michael T...