Friday, August 9, 2013

Parks isn't always to blame for street tree conditions


Ok, so what a-hole did this?

This concreted tree is in front of 578 Seneca Avenue in Ridgewood. I suppose a vibrant, diverse tree hater is lurking around there.

So, is this tree a goner?

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

One of the problems is that, like the typical 'community initiative' that always gets our radar up when the press flock to it and the politicians laud it and we do a little digging and find its a front for development (read Waterfront Alliance, NY for Parks, Transportation Alliance, etc) is that the tree planting initiative is simply a transfer of the environmental benefit from having greenspace in front and backyards to public space on sidewalks.

The thinking is that since development is encouraged to pave every square inch of a lot, trees and soil need to be replaced.

The sidewalk in front of your home is the perfect place.

Now when the frenzy of tree plantings occur by the local groups, I always call them and ask, since they trumpet their green credentials, if they are going to take care of the existing trees that, as we can see in this example, being ill kept and mistreated.

Their answer is always the same:

not budgeted. not planned. not interested.

I once went to a lunch by one of these green initiatives full of bright young people all excited by tree planting and green roofs and all the things the mayor tells them to be excited abouit.

The trash the left after the lunch was most instructive: huge piles of styrofoam and plastic.

Joe Moretti said...

People just do not give a shit anymore, but then again neither do most of our leaders.

Joe in soon to be beach front property Richmond Hill said...

From the age of this tree , which is at least 20 years, it was planted before the million trees program and rooftop gardens. This tree will not last much longer because of the paving.

Brandon said...

This was probably planted during the "treeing of Ridgewood" led by Paul Kerzner et al back in the 1980s

georgetheatheist said...

"From the age of this tree , which is at least 20 years, it was planted before the million trees program and rooftop gardens. This tree will not last much longer because of the paving. "
_______________________________-
And then it will keel over and kill some pregnant woman walking by.

Anonymous said...

This pic is so disturbing - the
tree will not be able to get
proper nourishment at its roots.
The person who did this is a real sicko - I BET the person who did it has a business directly in front. The city was giving out fines to those businesses that were not taking care of the tree beds. friggin' SICKO!! has anyone called 311 regarding this vandalism of city property. The tree will eventually rot out and fall down on someone...or THROUGH someone's glass storefront.

Anonymous said...

Two points:

We have had INSTANT response to reports of arboricide (Parks makes big$ on this) - send an e-mail to your borough commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski dorothy.lewandowski@parks.nyc.gov

It is reprehensible that these "millions" of trees are going in without consideration for care or maintenance (check out the cost of water, fer gawd's sake!)but, if you really want them and are willing to actually put yourself out, there are many ways - contact Parks. You can adopt a tree, or become a certified citizen pruner, among other things.

Anonymous said...

I would think that it might have been done by someone who is tired of having a place for dogs to poop and people to throw their garbage!!

Joe Moretti said...

I say guess the ethnicity of the person in our "vibrant and diverse" borough.

Anonymous said...

To Joe Moretti - Italian? They usually have bags of cement hanging around for various purposes.

Anonymous said...

For the cost of surrounding this poor tree with cement,you could have put up a small fence - like you see everywhere - to discourage dogs from pooping. As far the garbage is concerned, everyone has to keep their streets cleaned in front of their businesses - like it or not.

Anonymous said...

Call 311 to report this vandalism!

Joe in soon to be beach front property Richmond Hill said...

People litter everywhere, not just in tree pits. I find dog poop on my sidewalk and it is no where near the tree pit.

Dante Alighieri said...

Joe's not Italian. He's Siciliano.

Anonymous said...

Ridgewood hasn't been Italian/Sicilian for quite some time.

Joe said...

"Ridgewood"
You can now walk 20 blocks high noon on Myrtle ave and not be pestered with Pawn shop flyers or hear one person speaking English. Italian/Sicilian included !!

I was recently walking with a girl I grew up with who cam back to visit after living in Jupiter Florida 28 years.
On Myrtle by the Madison theater I joked "holy shit reminds me of when I made a wrong turn and ended up in East San Pedro" (part Los Angeles)
She was clearly shocked and upset, then when arriving on her old block she burst into tears. I had to get her a drink, we got Jack Daniels, Coke cans and went to the park on Madison.
Things are clearly much MUCH worse then they appear to us. It may be to late

Joe Moretti said...

Anonymous Anonymous said...

To Joe Moretti - Italian? They usually have bags of cement hanging around for various purposes.

--------------------------

Did you see that sloppy ass cement job, oh no that was definitely not Italians.

Joe said...

I second Joe Moretti. Yes definitely not Italians !

In the old days (summers) in Bushwick we were mixing cement and troweling brickwork at age 8 or so.
Plumbing & soldering, electrical around 12.
Our grandfather's would slap upside our heads "VERGOGNA" disowning us for days if we did cement work like in that photo !!

Anonymous said...

Contact Matt Wells, NYC Parks Director of Tree Preservation is the one assigned the task of preserving trees.

Anonymous said...

Polish or Romanian.