From the Daily News:Some Mott Haven residents are fuming over city plans to plant trees on their block.
The problem, they say, is that the tree roots eventually crack their sidewalks, leaving them stuck with the repair bill.
The trees are part of Mayor Bloomberg's MillionTrees campaign to plant 1 million trees in the city by 2030.
The Department of Parks and Recreation is planning to plant 12 street trees along E. 144th St. between Brook and Willis Aves.
But residents there point to city trees planted across the street that already have ripped up their neighbors' sidewalks.
Residents on the south side of the street said it's only a matter of time before the same thing happens to their sidewalks.
Homeowners also fear that because their sidewalk is 2-feet narrower, fully-grown trees will damage their homes, clog sewer drains and entangle power lines.
Most of all, they worry about footing the bill to fix inevitable upheavals in the sidewalks.
22 comments:
And the good reasons for having a tree in front of your building are?
There are 2 sides to a coin - the flip side is trees are beautiful and provide a pleasant complimentary addition to your building which in therory raises the value of your building. Provides shade in the heat of summer as well as a barrier muffler for noise. It dresses up a plain bland sidewalk.
The downsides are maining the roots destroying sewer lines or paying to clean them out 2x yearly. Trees or branches falling on you or your car and yes (slowly) ruining sidewalks. (Call 311)
Trees significantly reduce the use of heating and cooling by insulating nearby homes. Less electrical use in the summer means lower bills and fewer blackouts.
Shaded streets are more appealing to pedestrians and make shopping in stores easier during the summer.
The trees improve the desirability of a residential area and help maintain property values.
Trees also remove and sequester large amounts of carbon dioxide and produce necessary oxygen.
Many of the drawbacks of plantings can be eased by intelligent selection.
For example, trees such as Bradford pears or cherries remain small for their entire lives and create masses of flowers in the spring.
Rather than oppose the trees, the storeowners might insist that smaller trees with less intrusive root systems be used.
This way they would have the best of both worlds, less danger from large, unpruned trees, combined with a more appealing environment for shoppers.
Great...let those "Lato-s" continue to live in the treeless slums they're accustomed to!
This provides clearer shots from drive-by shootings with no danger of ricocheting bullets bouncing off tree trunks.
And if those yuppies that are attempting to gentrify the nabe want those trees...
let them pay for all repairs to their neighbors' properties.
(Heh, heh, heh)!
Tsk, tsk, tsk...just when they were trying to upgrade the bad image of Mott Haven by renaming the subway station "138th Street Grand Concourse"!
That's where the entry ramp to the concourse begins.
It ain't the Fordham Road vicinity's
grander part of that boulevard!
Next they'll be renaming that prison in the Hub "The Spofford Private School For Wayward Lads".
Anonymous # 3 has the best idea.
Plany the smaller trees that do the least (or no) damage, and still have all the benefits that trees provide.
Now, let's see if the Commissar and lickspittle Benepe have any capacity for intelligent compromise.
I bet they don't.
Do, let's uproot the pair on November 3. The next mayor can then put down roots for pear trees.
Motto: For better pears, uproot the pair!
Use November 3 to get control!
It will take a least 30-40 years for those tree roots cause any problems. Take the trees...you won't be living there in 2050 anyway...
I prefer trees over concrete. Sue me.
Anonymous said...
Tsk, tsk, tsk...just when they were trying to upgrade the bad image of Mott Haven by renaming the subway station "138th Street Grand Concourse"!
That's where the entry ramp to the concourse begins.
It ain't the Fordham Road vicinity's
grander part of that boulevard!
Next they'll be renaming that prison in the Hub "The Spofford Private School For Wayward Lads".
Friday, June 12, 2009
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That's what the name of the subway station is now--it was changed from "Mott Haven" decades ago.
I'm trying to get my neighbors to plant trees also. I've gotten four neighbors so far, but I've encountered a lot of resistance from some. They're worried about the sidewalk as well. But it's funny because most of the people who are worried are so old that they'd never see a crack by any tree planted anyway. I'm still working on them. I'm determined to make it a tree-lined street again.
And don't forget trees can kill you. Remember the little girl sitting in the car in Rev. Floyd Flake's neighborhood? A windstorm blew a tree onto the vehicle.
I periodically vacation in the Southwest. In Tucson, the land is replete with beautiful Saguaro cacti and people landscape their properties with them and other succulents. Perhaps a gigantic Saguaro cactus with radiating arms could be cultivated for planting in Northeastern climes?
Via "Blackberry":
Yeah I know that the Mott Haven name change has already been done for years.
I'm looking at it right now..."138th Street Grand Concourse".
The metal signs are all around the station covering over the beautiful original matte glazed mosaic tile name.
Anything else 'ol buddy?
I would avoid any trees with berries. You will have stains on your car, on the sidewalk, and you will bring them inside and stain your carpets.
Yet another example by the community preservationists to launch an effective public education campaign.
Hey. mabye the bike nuts can make themselves useful and have the greens get involved in this.
The benefits of tress are pretty basic from so many different levels.
The fact that I have one and am enjoying it outside my window closes the deal.
And don't forget trees can kill you.
Trees don't kill people. Guns kill people.
Guns don't kill people. People kill people. ("Where's my shiv?")
Unless you have wit to die for.
Then you can do yourself in.
there are trees that don't cause big root problems, look into them. the city is giving folks a choice of the tree they can have. my neighbor had a tree and then it was removed but refuses to plant another one, and her excuse is i don't want to clean up the street, hello i'm always the one cleaning. i can't have one because my neighbor on the other side has one and it would be too close. blocks look nicer with trees and yes it keeps you cooler in the summer. plant a damn tree it's free.....
I have no problem haing my drains cleaned once a year and/or putting root killer in my drains.I don't have aproblem with ny cocrete moving and having it repared every 8-9 years. I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE UTILIY COMPANIES THAT HAVE OUT OF STATE BUTCHERS "TRIMMING" MY TREES EVERY OTHER YEAR!I will now rip the "no parking" signs down and obstruct their access.
Trees are beautiful, better for the environment and have been shown to improve the mental health of the neighborhood. Neighborhoods without them are almost entirely slummy cesspits with higher rates of alcoholism, depression and crime. To argue against planting trees because that's what "those green types" or "biker nuts" would want is ignorance and is biting ones nose to spite one's face. Grow the hell up. Planting them would benefit everyone, harm no one and inconvenience few (in the decades to come). The greedy silly small group that opposes them for future repair work and the fear of bird droppings should be properly ignored. It's disgraceful that this conversation is even existing.
People are unnecessarily polarized today. It's not either or. The fearful store owners can be presented with an array of plantings that are suited to their needs. Nothing has to be crammed down their throats.
When I was growing up the worst sin was to intentionally antagonize your neighbor. Now everyone puts themselves first. Compromise and listening are not dirty words.
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