The following memorandum of request was submitted on Sept. 16, 2015 by email to Judi Bosworth, Supervisor, Town of North Hempstead, from the Coalition for a Safer Manhasset, Manhasset Chamber of Commerce Board and the Presidents of the Council of Greater Manhasset Civic Associations. Copies were sent to TONH Council Members: Viviana Russell; Peter Zuckerman; Angelo Ferrara; Anna Kaplan; Lee Seeman; and Dina De Giorgio. Copies were also sent to: Senator Jack Martins; Assemblywoman Michelle Schimel; and Legislator Richard Nicolello.
Also submitted was a slideshow (link below) illustrating the cracked and broken sidewalks along Plandome Road which were caused by the roots of sweet gum trees growing too big and pushing upwards as well as illustrating the piles of sweet gum balls on the sidewalks and gutters.
Joint request to remove/replace Sweet Gum trees along Plandome Road: In the interest of promoting pedestrian safety along Plandome Road, the Coalition for a Safer Manhasset has prepared this request, with joint support from the Manhasset Chamber of Commerce Board and the Council of Greater Manhasset Civics Presidents, to ask the Town of North Hempstead to:
(i) remove the existing Sweet Gum trees, roots and stumps, along Plandome Road from Northern Boulevard to Webster Avenue as soon as possible;
(ii) replace each of the removed trees/stumps with appropriate flowering trees, also as soon as possible;
(iii) repair/replace broken sidewalks and curbs to prevent pedestrian accidents.
In due course, CSM plans to circulate a petition for community support and the results will be submitted to TONH. In the interest of pedestrian safety, we hope that TONH will agree and act quickly to accomplish these requests.
Informal polling of merchants: Katie Miller, CSM, has done an informal polling of most of the merchants on Plandome Road and their response is overwhelmingly clear: they want the Sweet Gum trees replaced with appropriate flowering trees; they add that they cannot keep up with cleaning their sidewalks and gutters several times a day to remove the spiky gum balls which fall for approximately eight months a year.
Plandome Road over past 10 years: As you know, in 2005, and again several years later, the residents of Manhasset were shown plans of streetscapes with new sidewalks and plantings at Visioning Meetings held at Manhasset High School and presided over by Jon Kaiman, then the Town Supervisor, and consultants. Since then, surrounding communities in the Town of North Hempstead have been reaping improvement benefits from the TONH and receiving grants they have secured for that purpose. However, after ten years, and two visioning meetings, Manhasset has seen no improvements except a resurfacing of Plandome Road and an additional changing of lane structure and widening of Manhasset Avenue to permit an additional lane.
Slide show illustrates impact of Sweet Gum trees along Plandome Road: Attached is a slide show of photos of the Sweet Gum trees along both east and west sides of Plandome Road from Northern Boulevard to Webster Avenue. In the pictures please notice how plentiful the gum balls are, scores of them scattered around the sidewalks and gutters, posing a danger to pedestrians. Notice too how segments of the sidewalk and curb are broken or uneven because the roots of the trees are pushing up through them. Notice also that tree branches are often dangerously pushing into and growing around the electric wires.
Two important resulting hazards are not illustrated in the slide show: (1) Some pedestrian accidents have occurred by tripping over the raised/broken sidewalk or protruding tree roots while some pedestrians have twisted a foot or ankle by stepping on the spiky gum balls scattered around the sidewalk and gutters; and, (2) gum balls ultimately get washed into, and clog, the storm drains.
The future of Sweet Gum trees on Plandome Road, if not removed: As these trees continue to age, their roots will continue to grow closer to the surface of the sidewalk and they will crack and break additional segments of the sidewalks/curbs along Plandome Road and create additional hazardous areas for pedestrians. In addition, the tree heights will continue to increase and will become even more of a dangerous nuisance around the electric wires. The numbers of gum balls falling from the trees will continue to increase greatly, possibly causing more pedestrian accidents and certainly increasing the number of gum balls in storm drains.
Summary: According to the Manhasset Press, May 11, 1967, issue, the Tree Planting Beautification Committee held a fund drive seeking donors for the purchase and planting of 40 Sweet Gum Trees. Today, 48 years later, there are 25 Sweet Gum trees along Plandome Road from Northern Boulevard to Webster Avenue and they have grown well past their initial beauty and manageable size. They can live for 150 years and grow to a height range of 60 to 100 feet. At present they are already too high for the adjacent electric wires—and even too high in general for a shopping area on a main street.
The trees are unsightly and the roots are growing bigger and breaking or raising the sidewalks and may cause pedestrians to trip. The gum balls that fall for eight months of the year may also cause injury to pedestrians and since the gum balls are so prolific, they eventually end up in the storm drains—thousands of them.
Therefore, CSM, the Chamber of Commerce and the Council of Greater Manhasset Civics Associations believe it is time for the Sweet Gum trees along Plandome Road to be removed and replaced with more appropriate flowering trees as soon as possible, and for the broken, cracked and uneven sidewalks and curbs to be repaired. We respectfully submit this joint request to the TONH to carry out this work that will serve to make Plandome Road safer for pedestrians as well as making it more visually pleasing and attractive.
Slide show link: www.photoshow.com/watch/Id6aI6RJ
Katie Miller
