A 50-foot spruce Christmas tree in downtown Reading is coming down after Scrooge-like complaints that it was pathetic and ugly.

A group led by City Council president Francis Acosta has begun raising private funds to replace it with something that’s larger and more impressive, and to decorate it. The current tree is topped with a lighted pretzel.

Officials are hoping to have a do-over tree lighting ceremony next weekend.

The city had planned to get its tree from a farm in Schuylkill County, but when they went to pick it up, the farmer wouldn’t let the crew drive their trucks onto what was wet ground.

That’s when they found the last-minute replacement at a Reading city park.