Pelham Parkway barrier chosen: 87 trees to be removed
by amanda marinaccio
Comment
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| Bronx Times-Reporter |
With the final barrier now cleared it looks as if the Pelham Parkway reconstruction will finally become a reality.
John Fratta, district manager of Community Board 11, has been waiting for the project, attending countless meetings on the reconstruction, since 1986.
After years of frustration and waiting for the city agencies to come up with a final plan, the community has agreed upon a roadway barrier and intend to start the project next summer.
In a meeting held on Monday, October 5 between the New York City Department of Design & Construction, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Parks & Recreation and the Public Design Commission, all parties agreed upon the steel backed timber guardrail.
The steel backed timber guardrail would place posts 10 feet apart and would reach a height of 2 feet, 3 inches from the curb to the top of the rail.
For safety purposes, 55 trees that run along the road will be removed during the reconstruction, but, as part of the project, an additional 32 dying trees will be removed from the parkway medians.
Some residents remain concerned on the impact and effect this will have on Pelham Parkway and the surrounding community.
“Most people don’t know what happens with trees, their function,” said Jorge Santiago, a member of the Bronx Council for Environmental Quality.“They are noise barriers, they retain soil and prevent erosion, beside being beautiful to look at.”
According to Parks, over 200 replacement trees will be added to the area.
“I was thinking it would be better to transplant the trees if they are too close to the edge of the road or plant older trees,” said Santiago.“It really takes 30 to 40 years before a tree becomes fully functional.I’ll be dead before I enjoy the shade of that tree.”
The project has now reached a total estimated budget of $46.7 million and is expected to begin the first phase, the reconstruction of the south service road and mainline, during the summer of 2010.
“We’ve been given so many starting dates. I won’t believe it until I actually see it,” said Fratta.“It has been one of most frustrating projects we had to deal with because of City bureaucracies.This project should have been finished 10 years ago.”
John Fratta, district manager of Community Board 11, has been waiting for the project, attending countless meetings on the reconstruction, since 1986.
After years of frustration and waiting for the city agencies to come up with a final plan, the community has agreed upon a roadway barrier and intend to start the project next summer.
In a meeting held on Monday, October 5 between the New York City Department of Design & Construction, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Parks & Recreation and the Public Design Commission, all parties agreed upon the steel backed timber guardrail.
The steel backed timber guardrail would place posts 10 feet apart and would reach a height of 2 feet, 3 inches from the curb to the top of the rail.
For safety purposes, 55 trees that run along the road will be removed during the reconstruction, but, as part of the project, an additional 32 dying trees will be removed from the parkway medians.
Some residents remain concerned on the impact and effect this will have on Pelham Parkway and the surrounding community.
“Most people don’t know what happens with trees, their function,” said Jorge Santiago, a member of the Bronx Council for Environmental Quality.“They are noise barriers, they retain soil and prevent erosion, beside being beautiful to look at.”
According to Parks, over 200 replacement trees will be added to the area.
“I was thinking it would be better to transplant the trees if they are too close to the edge of the road or plant older trees,” said Santiago.“It really takes 30 to 40 years before a tree becomes fully functional.I’ll be dead before I enjoy the shade of that tree.”
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“We’ve been given so many starting dates. I won’t believe it until I actually see it,” said Fratta.“It has been one of most frustrating projects we had to deal with because of City bureaucracies.This project should have been finished 10 years ago.”
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Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of yournabe.com.
AL SMITH wrote on Nov 9, 2009 4:00 PM:
" sad that this mayor has a commissioner of parks that allows the killing of nice trees
for nothing . we like pel. pwy as it is
leave it alone
bring back our tree hugger henry stern. "
for nothing . we like pel. pwy as it is
leave it alone
bring back our tree hugger henry stern. "
Peter King wrote on Nov 9, 2009 11:07 PM:
" I can only hope John Fratta CB#11 has this one right. He blew it with approving a roller hockey rink in Loreto Park. It is the "white elephant" of Morris Park that cost over $1,000,000. No one uses it! Thanks John & FORMER Councilwoman Provenzano!!! "
George D. wrote on Nov 13, 2009 6:11 PM:
" Planned cutting down of 87 trees on Pelham Parkway:
As a resident of the Bronx, who goes back to the 1950s in this area, I am adamantly opposed to the cutting down of old tree growth along Pelham Parkway for "any purpose." I saw that Mr. Santiago, noted in the Bronx Reporter, expressed a view that I fully support. The trees along that parkway, and in particular the European Lindens that line the roadways, are not “replaceable." Taking these down is completely brainless and expedient and mars the beauty and history of this parkway. Robert Moses, one of the great civil engineers and urban planners of the 20th century, designed this parkway to create a continuity of two of the larges park areas in New York City, namely, Pelham Bay Park with Bronx Park (including Botanical Gardens and Bronx Zoo). Mosholu Parkway extends that continuity into Van Cortland park as well. Every decade or so this hair-brain idea resurfaces but now seems to be seriously taking shape. I just found out about it. I fully intend to fight it. I need support and alliances in this.
Contact me if you are like me and want to take action to block this. Just because it has “passed” doesn’t mean it has to be allowed to go through. Let us undo it. Let’s get a court order to block it. I love this area of the Bronx and if anything is worth fighting for it’s one’s home and immediate environment. Are we just living for barriers and asphalt?
If anyone wants to help me form a caucus against this please email me. I need support and alliance in this: My e-mail is: erikprides@yahoo.com We need to beat this back.
As far as the safety issue: they should just build the barrier and leave it at that, or, if its possible, and I doubt it very much, transplant the trees further in. Given their age and extensive root system at this point I would not expect that could easily be done. As a young boy, I saw these trees already well established. You don’t just plant a sapling or small tree and “voila,” expect to have the full majestic arbor of an aged tree in two years!
In any event I am determined to beat this. We live here, and by the way – it may well lower real estate values! Part of what attracts buyers to a neighborhood, either consciously or unknowingly, is the general aesthetics of the area. Clearly, Pelham Parkway has always enhanced this neighborhood in so many ways. On the issue of protective barriers: IF DRIVERS ARE BANGING INTO TREES, WHICH HAS GONE ON FOR DECADES, MAYBE THE PROBLEM IS THAT TYPE OF DRIVER AND NOT THE TREES! "
As a resident of the Bronx, who goes back to the 1950s in this area, I am adamantly opposed to the cutting down of old tree growth along Pelham Parkway for "any purpose." I saw that Mr. Santiago, noted in the Bronx Reporter, expressed a view that I fully support. The trees along that parkway, and in particular the European Lindens that line the roadways, are not “replaceable." Taking these down is completely brainless and expedient and mars the beauty and history of this parkway. Robert Moses, one of the great civil engineers and urban planners of the 20th century, designed this parkway to create a continuity of two of the larges park areas in New York City, namely, Pelham Bay Park with Bronx Park (including Botanical Gardens and Bronx Zoo). Mosholu Parkway extends that continuity into Van Cortland park as well. Every decade or so this hair-brain idea resurfaces but now seems to be seriously taking shape. I just found out about it. I fully intend to fight it. I need support and alliances in this.
Contact me if you are like me and want to take action to block this. Just because it has “passed” doesn’t mean it has to be allowed to go through. Let us undo it. Let’s get a court order to block it. I love this area of the Bronx and if anything is worth fighting for it’s one’s home and immediate environment. Are we just living for barriers and asphalt?
If anyone wants to help me form a caucus against this please email me. I need support and alliance in this: My e-mail is: erikprides@yahoo.com We need to beat this back.
As far as the safety issue: they should just build the barrier and leave it at that, or, if its possible, and I doubt it very much, transplant the trees further in. Given their age and extensive root system at this point I would not expect that could easily be done. As a young boy, I saw these trees already well established. You don’t just plant a sapling or small tree and “voila,” expect to have the full majestic arbor of an aged tree in two years!
In any event I am determined to beat this. We live here, and by the way – it may well lower real estate values! Part of what attracts buyers to a neighborhood, either consciously or unknowingly, is the general aesthetics of the area. Clearly, Pelham Parkway has always enhanced this neighborhood in so many ways. On the issue of protective barriers: IF DRIVERS ARE BANGING INTO TREES, WHICH HAS GONE ON FOR DECADES, MAYBE THE PROBLEM IS THAT TYPE OF DRIVER AND NOT THE TREES! "
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WERE ALL TEED OFF wrote on Nov 9, 2009 3:51 PM:
AND THE PEOPLE OF MORRIS PARK
AND WHO LOVE TREES SHOULD STOP THIS NEEDLESS PROJECT AND WASTE
OF 47 MIL. DOLLARS.
FRATTA LIVES IN MANHATTAN
AND IS A JBERG STOOGE. "