Tuesday, June 2, 2009

MTA's Forest Hills tree chopping unpopular

From the Daily News:

A Long Island Rail Road effort to clear brush that blocks passing trains in Forest Hills has devastated a plentiful array of trees and shrubs that added natural beauty to the urban landscape, angry locals charge.

The stretch of decimated plant life - along the north side of tracks parallel to Austin St. from 71st to 82nd Aves. - reminded residents of a 2007 LIRR sweep that turned mighty trees into mere stumps.

"I was really hoping to prevent the mass clearing," said Nate Grove, 36, who lives in an Ascan Ave. co-op. "There's no ground coverage, there's no saplings and limbs have been removed from big, healthy trees."

"They cut down 100-year-old trees," co-op president James Versocki said. "There were other alternatives. They could have replaced [them] with evergreens."

Another Tennis View co-op owner, Edward McGinnis, griped that the trees cut down in 2007 had provided not only pleasant scenery but also a train noise barrier for the adjacent West Side Tennis Club.

But LIRR spokesman Salvatore Arena insisted the railroad made efforts "to preserve a tree buffer where possible," adding, "Safety is always our overriding concern."

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey Weiner, Katz, and Hevesi: this is your jurisdiction, WHY DID YOU NOT SPEAK OUT AGAINST THIS???!!!!
All phonies liars, and crooks!!

Anonymous said...

Hang those MTA officials to a sour apple tree!

Anonymous said...

Unpopular, or unpoplar?

Anonymous said...

Horrible...And as the trees here die they do not replace them...I have 3 dead trees outside my window in Forest Hills, I am waiting for them to chop them, but sure won't wait for them to plant something in its' place..In the Cord Meyer section concrete is now in "vogue". How about all the hollowed out trees that are cut so far from powerlines that they look ridiculous.Beautiful trees with gaping holes...Safety they say will shut up everyone's mouth. It looks gross..

Missing Foundation said...

You don't need trees because tree huggers don't serve the clubhouse needs.

Who needs hospitals when you need money for bike lanes, tree plantings for new development projects, ESL programs, day laborer shape up halls, and a fat six figure salary for diversity coordinators.

Besides, with all the 3rd world types in Queens, you really have no idea who is renting an apartment along the tracks with a rocket propelled gernade laucher aimed out the window.

Just think, one shot and what happens to the railroad.

But look at the good side.

The little types asses on the East Side are kept clean, the dishes are sparkling at all those bistros that Blumturd and Ackerman fans dine in, and developers profit margins are nice n fat!

Anonymous said...

If the folks of the medieval-style Forest Hills Gardens don't like the train noise, why not build a medieval-style noise wall?

Anonymous said...

If the folks of the medieval-style Forest Hills Gardens don't like the train noise, why not build a medieval-style noise wall?

AND HAVE THIRD WORLD TYPES RAISED IN MEDIEVAL CULTURES COVER IT WITH GANG GAFITTI?

Anonymous said...

True dat!

Those spoiled sequestered FHG folks are having the real world invade their medieval lives!

Welcome to the club!

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