The North Hempstead Town Board voted to amend its tree policy Tuesday, April 8, which will make it easier for dangerous trees to be removed and provide a 24-hour notice to do so.
The resolution passed 6-1, with Council Member Mariann Dalimonte voting against the amendments, citing disagreements with aspects of the new policy.
Council Member Robert Troiano voted in favor of the amendments, saying he did not believe the policy would cause “indiscriminate removal of trees.” Council Member Christine Liu said she voted for the resolution as it promoted safety measures she agreed with.
Multiple residents expressed concerns with the policy change, including lack of enforcement of the prior tree policy, an overabundant removal of trees and the exclusion of the town’s tree committee in drafting the changes.
The revisions adopted were made in collaboration with the highway departments and the town attorney’s office, but did not include the town’s tree committee.
“Any policy benefits from having more voices,” Troiano said, criticizing the exclusion of the tree committee.
Residents asked for the tree committee to be included in the discussion and that a decision be made at a later date. They also asked that the resolution be discussed at an evening meeting when more residents would be able to attend.
Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena said it is the town board’s responsibility to make the change and it should not be delegated to the tree committee. Dalimonte countered, saying the committee would not be delegating the changes but rather be in consultation with the town board.
The policy amendment states that “the town generally does not remove live, healthy trees, but may remove them in limited circumstances.” Tree removals would not be permitted due to falling foliage nor for raising sidewalks if repairs can be made without removing the tree.
Chief Deputy Town Attorney Robert Boglel said the amendments put the power of designating trees for removal in the hands of the highway departments.
Amendments include at least 24 hours’ notice for the removal of dangerous trees. Some residents argued this was not enough time for residents who may be out of town for the weekend.
Highways Superintendent Gerard Losquadro said the 24-hour notice is standard and a “fair” amount of time to notify a resident of a tree removal.
Liu asked if the notice could be extended to 72 hours, which Losquadro said would be too long for a dangerous tree.
The 24-hour notice is only for the removal of dangerous trees in town right-of-way. Under the town code, residents can request the removal of a non-dangerous tree and are not granted a permit until after seven days when the highway department makes a determination.
Margaret Galbraith, president of Transition Town Port Washington, stressed the importance of trees. She said the town’s tree policy amendments would make it easier to remove trees and expedite the process.
“Instead of building resiliency on our peninsula, these new proposed amendments will weaken it, bring down property values and destroy a lot of our town’s beauties,” Galbraith said.
Losquadro said residents can request new tree plantings and the highways department will assess the feasibility.
