New York City – Mayor Bloomberg’s MillionTreeNYC plan could be creating a million headaches – and almost as much in costs – for homeowners.
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His plan to plant a million trees by 2017 to help New Yorkers breathe a little easier could also tear up homeowners’ sidewalks and sewer pipelines.
While the city does fix sidewalks, there is a long waiting list, leaving cracked sidewalks an open invitation for people to trip and injure themselves, with lawsuits not far behind, a Daily News investigation has found.
A 2005 city tree census found 5.2 million trees. Officials identified 220,000 streets that could use more. Then they started planting.
So far, the city and the New York Restoration Project have planted 303,000 trees, with a total budget of just under $125 million.
The city has spent $14 million since 2005 to fix 6,624 sidewalks torn up by tree roots, according to the city Parks Department.
Foresters evaluate each problem, and depending on their rating, a homeowner can wait more than a year to have the work done, said City Councilman James Vacca (D-East Bronx).
The devastation tree roots can have on sewer pipes is another problem.
“The older sewer connections were put together with cement, and the tree roots penetrate the connections. It happens frequently,” said John Figliolia, president of the New York Association of Water and Sewer Excavators. “You’re talking thousands and thousands of dollars.”
“No way would I want a tree planted in front of my property,” said Steven Kogel of Harris Watermain and Sewer Contractors in East New York, Brooklyn. “As a master plumber, I know what a tree can do to the sewer and the sidewalk. It’s a mess.”
And when there’s a tree in front of a house and the sewer pipes have to be changed, the contractor must take out a Parks Department permit and hire an arborist who will oversee the excavation and installation of the sewer, said Kogel. “The job, which would take two days, takes twice as long.”
The city is responsible for any trip-and-fall cases involving tree roots in front of a three-family home or smaller. The city Law Department said it had to pay out $39 million in judgments and settlements last year for cases involving sidewalk defects.
Local community boards report dozens of complaints from homeowners who do not want trees planted by their homes.
Longtime Queens community activist Lawrence Cormier was stunned when the city planted four trees in front of his St. Albans home. “I’m concerned about the sidewalks, the leaves, the visibility,” said Cormier. “There are just too many trees.”
Almost a year ago, Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans) got a promise from the Parks Department that it would remove one of the trees. “I’m still waiting,” Cormier said.
“It’s a good idea,” Vacca said of the tree plan. “But I want to preserve the right of a homeowner to say, ‘I don’t want a tree, the roots of the tree buckle the sidewalk,'” he added.
The Bronx councilman noted that Robert Gilbert, a senior citizen who lives on City Island, “begged me not to have the trees put in,” Vacca said. “But the city went forward anyway.”
“We’re aware of a number of complaints. But this is what happens when you have a large city initiative,” said Morgan Monaco, director of MillionTreeNYC. “I would say that the complaints represent the minority. The majority of feedback we receive is positive.”
But Marian Rivas, 66, of E. 144th St. in the South Bronx disagrees. Rivas and her neighbors fought – and lost – over the city planting trees on her block.
“It’s a big problem,” she said. “I don’t understand why they do this. The people who have a tree planted in front of their house – it’s a disaster.
Fixing our sidewalks is a very small price for property owners to pay in return for having more trees that will do much to address the most important environmental and quality of life issue for NYC residents which is pollution and global warming. The mayor is leading the effort on beging mekayem the mitzvah of Tikin Olam.
Kudos for the mayor. As a “slip and fall” attorney, I will benefit greatly from the vast increase in the number of cracked sidewalks which will result in more fall, more injuries and more litigation. What an ehrliche yid is this Bloomberg for looking out for members of the plaintiffs’ bar.
You think he cares?
They planted a tree in front of my house i don’t even know why. when you go on google maps from the pictures above I cant even see my street because my whole neiborhood looks like a forest from above.
I like the idea of more trees in the 5 boroughs but not against the protests of the homeowner. I don’t know why a compromise couldn’t be hammered out and why the Mayor has to shove things down our throats this way.
As a side note, more than $2100 to fix one sidewalk? That’s insane. The city pays out that kind of money and then complains it needs to raise revenue and in an instant we pay more taxes.
they planted a tree in front of my parents house in BP. When they cut the concrete to plant the tree, they created a crack on the sidewalk where people walk. when my mother called 311, they sent an inspector. HE GAVE THEM A TICKET FOR A CRACKED SIDEWALK!! My mother said to him ‘ but the CITY cracked it”. HE SAID “TELL IT TO THE JUDGE!!!”
I must warn NYC that it`s not the best idea to have loads of trees in a heavily built up area, espically not close to buildings because has the roots grow they cause subsidenice which can be very costly. I had it in my own back garden many years ago and despite getting rid of the tree it is still causing us problems.
On the plus side getting rid of the tree allowed us to build a bigger succah
this is ridiculous and illogical. hizzoner has turned urban sprawl into urban shove. every open space in the city is being redeveloped. many brooklyn neighborhoods (including BP and WB and CH) lack open spaces for parks and open space. all these half built condos that everybody shrugs at could be torn down simply used as urban gardens or small play grounds and parks. but there is no money to made in building a small park so it either becomes a condo or remains an eyesore or a pit. we need trees because soon there will be no more grass.
Because of a tree in front of our house, we cannot have a legal driveway, even though the driveway would be to the side of the tree. In addition, the roots of the tree grew into our sewer and it cost us nearly $10,000 for a new sewer. Unfortunately, despite promises by the plumber that roots cannot grow into new copper pipes, we continue to have roots!
Be smart. cut the tee down as soon as they plant it when its still small. Who would know the difference.
Concrete is a defective product near tree roots. It will last less than 10 years, which causes a continuous maintenance problem for the city and more and more trip hazards. There are other solutions to keep the trees and create a safe sidewalk that last over 25 years. One such product is called Rubbersidewalks. Better for the trees, safer to fall on, less maintenance and better for the environment. You can plant more trees and use a product works with the trees not against them. The city has tested the product in several locations. The web site is rubbersidewalks.com.
I have a Norway Maple in front of my home that was illegally planted by the previous owner. The parks dept is forcing me to keep this tree which so far has heaved my sidewalk, killed my lawn, and now has killed 3 bushes in front of my home! The root damage is ridiculous, they choke out everything. I’m assuming the next damage will be to the sewer line and the foundation!! I want my lawn to look as nice as many of my neighbors’ lawns..:( I hate this tree!!
if this is supposed to be a free country then why are we being told we have to have trees in front of our homes that we pay for with our money. I think the mayor, while the tree thing is a nice idea, it should be for people that want them. If a homeowner doesnt want a tree in front of thier home for what ever reason, the city shouldnt just go ahead and plant it, it isnt fair and it isnt right.
Maybe we should just go the the front of the mayors home and plant poison ivey around his tree pit.