Community Watchdog

The area behind Ron Sme was cleared of trees and other vegetation to prevent train wheels from skidding, but Sme said the LIRR's "trimming" was excessive.
Newsday photo by Alan Raia

On Sunrise Highway in Lynbrook, the LIRR removed every bit of vegetation near tracks in late 2007, including the 30- to 50-year-old trees. It looks like a scene from the 1930s Dust Bowl. The LIRR said there would be some trimming, but it does not seem proper to butcher the landscape.
--Ron Sme, Lynbrook

We made a bunch of calls to the LIRR over a month-long period before we got answers. Spokesman Sam Zambuto said the railroad is now hammering out a beautification plan with local officials and residents.

The tree-cutting was part of a vegetation management program to address “slip-slide” concerns, a condition where train wheels skid on acceleration and braking due to an oily residue from crushed leaves, Zambuto said.

The Lynbrook area between Denton and Ocean avenues was one trouble spot on the Long Island Railroad’s Babylon branch.

Workers cut tree limbs that were entangled in overhead signal lines and others that were hanging over the tracks. Zambuto didn’t know the number of trees removed, but Sme estimated 20 were cut.

The phone number for LIRR’s vegetation management program and replaning efforts is 718-558-8228

--MICHAEL R. EBERT

A couple of reader reax based on an item in the Community Watchdog column published Sunday dealt with freight trains parked over Deer Park Avenue (Route 231), and one issue that goes farther back about a Hicksville couple who wanted a large tree removed so their sight-line wasn't impaired.

On the freight train issue (see below):

I agree 100% with the LePore's. These trains are parked every weekend on the 231 train overpass. I have called the town and nothing has been done. Have you ever noticed the signs that say town beautification program at this overpass? A beautiful clock,brickwork and landscaping below this overpass were put in. Why would an elected official let these trains park on the top of this overpass after all the time and money was spent to beautify this area? I bet our town supervisor wont take a new picture of that area with the trains parked overhead standing next to the town beautification sign. These trains must also be putting a strain on the overpass with all the consent weight on it. God forbid something broke with these trains parked over the cars sitting at the red light. What else can I do to get the town to move these trains 100 feet in either direction? The President Victor Paul is lying when he says 10 or more cars. There are never more than 10 cars parked up on that overpass and they are still there over the entire weekend just about every week. Please forward this to Mr. LePore so that he can contact me and I will join him in the fight to get these trains moved. What a joke it is getting these trains moved 100 feet in either direction. I am sorry to be a little negative but the elected town officials work more for the businesses than they do for the people who live in the town these days.

On the tree issue:

Please stop cutting down trees! That is not progress, nor is it necessary to kill a hundred yr. old tree so someone can see out of their driveway. Tell them to back out slowly & they will see just fine. Not every problem deserves the easy solution. People have to live in the environment & with the environment. Sidewalks can be replaced w/o cutting down trees. New trees will take decades to provide shade or make a dent in CO2 removal. Please consider the consequences of your actions. Thank you.

You can’t please all of the people all of the time.

That’s probably never truer than when trees are involved.

Two items in Sunday’s paper (and previewed here last week) were arbor-related. A man in Shirley understood that a couple of acres of trees were taken down to allow for safer landings at Brookhaven’s Calabro Airport. But he wanted plantings or landscaping to replace the trees. The second item was a before and after update. Nassau County removed some trees on Stewart Avenue in Bethpage so the Town of Oyster Bay could pour new sidewalks in an area where the bulging tree roots had buckled the walkway and made them hazardous.

Blog commenters apparently didn’t like the tree removal in Bethpage. For the record, the woman who asked to have the sidewalks replaced had hoped the trees could be saved. But she’d seen enough people falling on the bulging, uneven sidewalks to want something to be done about the problem. If safety is involved, we think removing the trees is probably the better option.

In Shirley one commenter said there were other areas of Shirley that needed attention more than the location where the trees had been removed. Another called the item worthless.

Like I said, you can't please all of the people all of the time.

I’m 86 and my husband is 90 and disabled. We’re not young chicks anymore but we both drive. There’s a sycamore tree planted in front of my house I’ve been trying to have removed for more than two years. My street is a one-way heading east with plenty of traffic, and we have quite a problem getting out of the driveway. The tree blocks us from seeing the cars that are driving towards us.

--Eva Montagnino, Jericho

TIM-BER! Two trees that blocked the sightline from the Montagninos’ driveway were removed early Thursday morning, less than four days after we called Nassau County.

Ian Siegel, Deputy Nassau County Executive for parks and public works, said the job would be done within 30 days, but when he related the problem to his boss, Tom Suozzi, Suozzi ordered the removal expedited.

Siegel said it’s the county’s policy not to take down living trees, but exceptions are made in an “extreme situation.”

Although Montagnino had been complaining for years, it was to the wrong municipality. She lives on a county road and her complaints to the town weren’t forwarded to the county until May, Siegel said.

“This is just a classic example of confusion that's created by so many different jurisdictions and municipalities,” Siegel said.

Nassau residents who live on a county road and want to report a problem, click here for a list of Department of Public Works phone numbers.

Also related to this topic:
*Town of Oyster Bay Tree Removal Form
*Town of Brookhaven Tree Preservation Laws

Q. It's been years since the county removed two huge trees from the front of my house because they had been losing branches and could become dangerous in a storm. I was promised two new trees at no cost. I'm still waiting. I've tried writing and calling but to no avail. The front of my house is so bare looking, it's depressing. I'm 83 years old and would like to see two trees while I'm still here to enjoy them.
Irene Eulner, New Hyde Park

A. Mrs. Eulner has her trees.

The Town of North Hempstead Highway Department planted two pear trees two days after we called to find out why the old trees hadn't been replaced. We learned that the highway department had removed the trees in December 2005.

When trees are removed, the stumps are left there for a year, allowing the roots to die before the stumps are removed, said Town spokesman Justin Meyers. Usually, trees are planted within three months after that, but new plantings could take up to a year if the highway department has storm work or other higher priority tasks.

The delay in getting Eulner's trees planted occurred because her earlier calls to the town's 311 hotline came before its computer system was fully implemented, he said. Now, there's a system that logs each complaint.

After the pear trees were planted, Eulner said, "I got my two trees today. They're kind of scrawny looking but it's so nice to see something in front of the house.”

Town of North Hempstead residents with a problem involving trees on town roads, or other problems, should call 311. Complaints may also be emailed by visiting northhempstead.com and clicking Contact Us in the left hand column.

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