The following is via the residents of 542 E. 14th St.
Among the many egregious acts the MTA has foisted upon our area is the chainsawing down of all of our old growth trees in the median from the mid block (between Avenues A and B) to Avenue B — except for one tree.
This lone tree survived the chainsawing but is now in peril because its protective fencing is damaged, and the MTA workers are using the space around its trunk to pile brick, pipes, stones, debris and garbage.
After 19 months of work (with no end in sight), this tree has managed to survive the diesel fumes, bulldozing, chainsawing and pollution from this project. It's the Little Tree That Could.
We think the tree deserves to survive and thought it is also a good metaphor for the damage that's been inflicted on our few blocks. The tree, and our neighborhood, deserve better.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Nightmare scenario for residents who learn that 14th Street and Avenue A will be the main staging area for the L-train reconstruction
Get in touch with your Community Board and call 311 immediately to save this tree. The more people who call both, the more and quicker action will be taken.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to calling 311 and asking to speak with the Forestry Department, concerned neighbors should contact Community Board 3 for help in saving this tree:
ReplyDeleteDerdra Starkes, Community Associate, Community Board 3
Complaints and public information dstarkes@cb3manhattan.org
212-533-5300 x201
Your Community Board can and does get things done.
We need all the trees to combat pollution.
We should reach out to Carlina Rivera, too.
ReplyDeleteAlso call 311 and register a complaint with the Parks Department, they are responsible for the health of street trees, and they are probably not aware of this situation.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, at the end of the day, we can contact every person in government about these issues. They just don't seem to ever give a shit. There's only so much they can do. We just have to suck it up and accept the cold, hard facts.
ReplyDeleteThis hole they're digging is for a substation. Do you really need more than 19months to dig a hole? That seems excessive, even for the bloated and clueless MTA. Get out of our neighborhood already. 14th St is a big mess, and businesses have closed. As a couple of Columbia professors proved earlier this year, you have no idea what you're doing.
ReplyDelete