Downed trees have led to a controversy at Ocala's Heritage Nature Conservancy. Dozens of them were cut down to build a parking lot and larger drainage retention area in Ocala. But the city never got the state’s permission to do the job.

“The park had a beautiful view and I just see trucks coming and cutting down the trees. I didn’t know what was going on,” Third Street neighbor Brandon McDaniel said.

Other people living alongside the nature conservancy in the Heritage Hills neighborhood wondered what was going on as well. The 11-acre park was granted to the city 20 years ago with one primary goal in mind: protecting the trees from development.

In 2012 rains from Tropical Storm Debby flooded streets and homes in the area.

The park closed last month, with only a sign from the city outside, indicating they were doing stormwater maintenance and flood mitigation.

Neighbors notified Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection, and the DEP ordered the city to stop.

Plans submitted after the fact show 123 trees were cut down to expand the retention pond, another 40 to build a parking lot. A city spokesperson said the parking lot will help attract people to the under-utilized park. They also plan to pave pathways to be ADA compliant.

When the city got the land using Florida Department of Natural Resources tax-free revenue bonds, it agreed to not cut down trees without approval from the Florida Communities Trust.

A letter from DEP to Ocala's Parks Manager said the proposed parking lot could make stormwater runoff and potential flooding worse.

“The fact they skipped by all the proper channels to do it, it kind of makes you wonder why they did that?" said Shelly Soto, who lives in the flood zone.

“I think we just got a little out of whack in the order we had to do things," said spokesperson Jeannine Robbins.

"It was an administrative oversight and we regret it and we are working really hard to push through and meet the regulations and guidelines that we need to.”

The city has been given until early next month to properly submit plans and convince the department the tree removal was needed. DEP said so far they haven't responded.

Ocala ultimately could be forced to return the land to the state if they deem the agreement was violated.