Plainview residents fight planned removal of trees damaging sidewalks
According to town officials, the trees' roots have caused significant damage to nearby sidewalks, creating a potential safety hazard for pedestrians.
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Some Plainview residents are pushing back against plans to remove several mature trees from their neighborhood, arguing the benefits the trees provide outweigh the problems they have caused for local sidewalks.
Julia, who lives on Pasadena Drive, recently learned that four large trees surrounding her property are slated for removal by the Town of Oyster Bay. According to town officials, the trees' roots have caused significant damage to nearby sidewalks, creating a potential safety hazard for pedestrians.
But Julia believes the sidewalks can be repaired without removing the trees, which she says are an important part of the neighborhood's character.
"I just find it very upsetting to cut all these beautiful trees," she said.
The longtime resident said the trees provide shade, enhance the appearance of the community and serve as a habitat for wildlife.
"We want to live in a nice beautiful neighborhood with trees that give shade and homes to so many animals," Julia said. "You want to cry. I'm going to cry."
Adding to her frustration, Julia received a letter from the town informing her that she would be responsible for hiring and paying a contractor to repair the damaged sidewalks. In many Long Island municipalities, adjacent property owners are responsible for maintaining sidewalks bordering their properties.
In a statement, a Town of Oyster Bay spokesperson said the planned removals were prompted by concerns about sidewalk safety.
"Following a neighborhood complaint regarding the condition of the sidewalks in this area, town inspectors found that the trees are causing significant damage to the sidewalk," the statement read. "Unfortunately, when a sidewalk is replaced, the root system of trees gets severely compromised, especially when the roots are encroaching onto the actual sidewalk."
The dispute has resonated with other residents who say they have watched more trees disappear from Plainview in recent years.
"There are no trees in our neighborhood because the town keeps cutting down our trees," Andrea Niederman said.
Her husband, Eric Niederman, questioned whether tree removal is becoming the default solution whenever sidewalks are damaged by roots.
"It seems that right now there's a knee-jerk reaction to if a sidewalk is lifted, let's remove the tree," he said.
For Julia, the issue is about more than a few trees. She worries the neighborhood could lose much of the greenery that residents value.
"I feel like the town wants to take down the trees no matter what I do about it," she said.
According to a town spokesperson, trees are typically not replanted by the Town of Oyster Bay after they are removed. However, homeowners do have the option of planting replacement trees around their property.
