It all started when a resident noticed that a Long Island contractor, New York Tree & Shrub, was cutting much of the top off several trees on 80th Drive, between Kent and Chevy Chase Streets in Jamaica Estates.Jamaica trees whacked
Posted notices indicated that the contractor had a permit to do the same to a total of 15 trees on the quiet residential block, which runs westerly from the foot of a small hill.
Suspicious because the work was being done on the holiday, and because none of the homeowners on the block knew who had hired the contractor, the informant contacted the office of City Councilmember James Gennaro, who chairs the Environmental Protection Committee, on Monday, January 21. Fortunately, staffers were there to take the call, and knew Gennaro was in Park City, Utah, attending the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, promoting a pro-sustainable fuel documentary, “Fields of Fuel” in which he appears.
He contacted top officials at the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation on Tuesday morning, and by Wednesday, January 23, the saws were silenced.
According to a letter delivered to about 40 residents of the block from Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe, the permits were “improperly issued.” Furthermore, “the six trees were not pruned according to [Parks Department] standards,” he said.
Benepe also indicated that the Forestry Division had completed a damage report, and was assessing the damage to the trees and “possible related fines.”
Incidentally, NY Tree and Shrub was responsible for the St. Saviour's massacre last July. Great to know that they are a company on the Parks Department's list of approved contractors.
7 comments:
Why was the contractor doing this,to earn fees?
The article says that a homeowner 2 blocks away paid them to do it so he would have an unobstructed view of Manhattan.
maspeth moms says
Any politicians live in Jamaica Estates???? LOL
Is "New York Tree & Shrub "a licensed arborist
or just a tree chopper and removal service?
Most of the self proclaimed "tree experts"
are just that....unqualified and unprofessional!
They don't know squat about the growth habits
of various tree species.
When I have my trees pruned,
I always make sure that the firm is a member
of a national arbor association
and has good references.
Currently I'm using "Davey"
who has been used by NYC in the past
to control (by injecting trees at the base)
the Asian long horned beetle.
Watch out for local "landscapers"
who have expanded their businesses
into tree trimming claiming they
know what they're doing.
The impressive machinery they often show up with
is no substitute for their ignorance .
First, fine the perps heavily, then hang 'em!
H-m-m-m,
Judge Roy Bean used to hang 'em first
and then fine 'em!
Maybe you got it backwards.
Or he shot 'em and then went through their pockets!
Either way, hang them SOBs by their....uh....
use your own imaginations!
Lest we not forget that Con Edison has a habit of hiring these contractors to decimate the trees in order to keep their lines from being impinged on. They say the trees are being pruned according to horticultural guidelines, but all these companies are doing is cutting a sharp "V" around the wires. Don't be sure Con Ed is not responsible.
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