A tree holding a Bald eagle nest that was at the center of a controversial residential development in Auburn was reduced over the weekend, city officials and media reported Saturday.

City officials said on Facebook that they were “severely disappointed to learn that the tree containing the bald eagle nest in the Heritage Ridge development has now been cut down by the developer and landowner, Edgar Hughston Builder, Inc.”

“The developer had agreed to a meeting with Mayor Pro Tem Witten and Mayor Ron Anders scheduled for Monday, November 18 to discuss potential options to protect and preserve the eagle nesting area. Unfortunately, it appears that the decision to cut down the nesting tree has eliminated these options,” the city’s statement said.

Efforts to reach Hughston Homes were not immediately successful Sunday.

Auburn City Manager Megan McGowen Crouch has asked the City Attorney’s Office to contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to “strongly encourage” an investigation into whether the terms and conditions of the permit were followed by Hughston , indicates the city press release.

WRBL shared published video footage by Auburn resident John Braswell shows the tree and destroyed home of bald eagles Jim and Pam off North College Avenue near the EW Shell Fishing Center. Jim and Pam are named after characters from the sitcom “The Office.”

More than 7,500 Auburn residents and wildlife advocates have signed an online petition calling for an end to plans to demolish the bald eagle nest. Kade Evan Turner, who started the petition on Change.orgasked Hughston Homes “to recognize the seriousness of the proposed actions and reconsider its development plans”.

“We understand that development plans for a 46-home subdivision have been approved for this location, but we believe a compromise is possible, one that meets the development needs of our growing community while preserving Jim’s house and Pam,” Turner wrote.

Auburn City Council member Beth Witten said in a Facebook post Saturday that she had received assurances that Hughston Homes would not take any action until a meeting scheduled for Monday.

Witten wrote that she was “devastated” to have been “intentionally misled” into “thinking the city would have an opportunity to discuss options to save the nest.”

The tree’s removal, which occurred late Friday night or early Saturday morning, showed “a disregard for a community they want to do business with,” Witten wrote of the developer.

On Friday, Hughston Homes said it received a permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove the nest.

“Please know that this decision was made with respect for the environment and the well-being of these magnificent birds,” the company said. He then revealed a recent donation to the Alabama Conservation and Natural Resources Foundation “to support ongoing conservation efforts.”

The developer plans to build 46 houses around the nesting site. Locals claim the ruined tree was home to the eagles’ nest since 2017.

The eagles had been a beloved feature of the community for more than seven years.

“To the residents of Ward 3 and the entire Auburn family, please know that this has been heartbreaking. And I fully support the City Manager’s request that the City’s attorneys request a thorough investigation by Fish and Wildlife,” Witten wrote.

The homebuilder said he was unaware of Jim and Pam’s nest when he purchased the property.

“While preserving the tree was our first thought and top priority, regulations require maintaining an undisturbed radius of 330 feet around the nest. Unfortunately, this area extended over critical sections of the property, impacting neighboring wetlands,” Hughston Homes said.

“The time of year tells us that there are no eggs, hatchlings or young chicks unable to live outside the nest,” the Hughston Homes statement continues. “We took this action knowing that these resilient birds are capable of establishing a new nest close to their former habitat.”