Save the 180+ Trees on S. Oyster Bay Road Scheduled for Demo

Hi Everyone,

New to the board, recommended by my cousin who swears by LI Weddings! Posting to inform you of a major project on S. Oyster Bay Road that will lead to the senseless demolition of over 180+ trees over the next several weeks.

The work, to be conducted by the Nassau County Department of Public Works (DPW), spans the towns of Syosset, Plainview, Hicksville, and Bethpage. Every tree is slated for demolition, if you pass by the area, you will see the white "X" on each tree, marked for removal.

We have put together a Petition requesting the DPW to save and preserve these gorgeous, decades-old trees, along with involve the public in arriving at a better solution. I grew up in this region, and, passing by the Plainview Shopping Centre today was saddening as work has already started. This work is similar to the destruction in Seaford on Seaman's Neck Road this past August.

Here's the Petition to Sign:
Save the S. Oyster Bay Road Trees Petition

Here's a link to our newly created Facebook page, definitely "like" us for updates:
Facebook Page - Save the S. Oyster Bay Road Trees

Thanks so much, please share amongst your friends and family, and feel free to reply if you have any questions, I'll do my best to answer.

Message edited 9/24/2014 11:55:52 PM.

Re: Save the 180+ Trees on S. Oyster Bay Road Scheduled for Demo

How absolutely awful.

Re: Save the 180+ Trees on S. Oyster Bay Road Scheduled for Demo

I know...

I was at the Climate Change Parade in NYC this Sunday, left super inspired, and boom, when I got back to my mother's home on the Island, I was beside myself--the area by the Northern State / Plainview Shopping Centre looks like a concrete wasteland and the work has just begun.

Save the 180+ Trees on S. Oyster Bay Road Scheduled for Demo

This is in my area :(

Why are they cutting them all down? Are they interfering with wires or is it just because? Will they be planting any new ones?

I'll sign the petition.

ETA - I also shared the link with my FB.

Message edited 9/25/2014 8:21:23 AM.

Save the 180+ Trees on S. Oyster Bay Road Scheduled for Demo

Signed!

Re: Save the 180+ Trees on S. Oyster Bay Road Scheduled for Demo

I grew up near here and this makes me so so sad!!!!!!!

It will totally change the landscape of the town and make it more "city-like" in my opinion.

Re: Save the 180+ Trees on S. Oyster Bay Road Scheduled for Demo

Signed. I grew up near this area too...

Re: Save the 180+ Trees on S. Oyster Bay Road Scheduled for Demo

I saw what they did on Seaman's Neck Road and the road looks totally different now. It was a great road for running because it was shaded with all the trees and they took everything down, so sad!

Save the 180+ Trees on S. Oyster Bay Road Scheduled for Demo

I hate that they did this on Seaman's Neck Road - it looks awful. Those trees were so beautiful. I signed the petition! Hopefully we can stop this from happening again.

Re: Save the 180+ Trees on S. Oyster Bay Road Scheduled for Demo

Posted by Lucky09

I grew up near here and this makes me so so sad!!!!!!!

It will totally change the landscape of the town and make it more "city-like" in my opinion.

Re: Save the 180+ Trees on S. Oyster Bay Road Scheduled for Demo

There is a plan in progress to repave the roads and rehab some of the sidewalks along the stretch of S. Oyster Bay Road. Instead of just fixing the few sidewalk slabs that may need some TLC (the sidewalks are really in great shape, I've walked them recently) and taking down those specific trees causing problems, they are instead just doing a full scale removal. Hundreds of trees that have been there for years...gone.

There was no formal public meeting or widespread notification regarding this effort, no environmental assessment conducted (from what I've been able to find) notating the environmental impact of losing so many trees (trees that provide shade, serve as a noise barrier, help with pollution). And, to boot, this is exactly what occurred in Seaford less than a month ago. Public officials and residents in Seaford were outraged--and, to do it again now affecting 4 towns, and 200 more trees, IMHO, t's blatant disregard.

In a brief memo I reviewed the DPW mentioned they will plant trees following the work, but, no mention if there will be a 1x1 replacement, and, in other areas where work like this has been done, dwarf trees that reach no more than a few feet are typically used. A good reference is W. John Street in Hicksville, or Jackson Avenue in Syosset. Trees were removed and barely anything was planted in its place, the area looks like a concrete nightmare. The tree canopy / boulevard feel of Seaman's Neck Road / S. Oyster Bay Road as it stands right now will be no more.

It does not have to do with power lines / PSEG, Senator Hannon contacted them for the Seaford effort and PSEG mentioned they had no part. There are also huge, healthy trees on the east side of S. Oyster Bay Road that are no where near power lines being completely removed as well.

Thanks so much for signing the Petition and sharing the news everyone, you can even sign anonymously if you'd like, every vote counts!- I've been helping organize this over the past 24 hours like a mad woman (with my brother's wedding in 48 hours, lol), and I'm trying to get the news out to as many as possible since the County failed to fairly do so.

Message edited 9/25/2014 11:00:43 AM.

Re: Save the 180+ Trees on S. Oyster Bay Road Scheduled for Demo

PS--I grew up in the area too, sadly over the years these trees have been disappearing. This latest endeavor is just plain massacre. There was a huge tree right by the entrance to Birchwood Park Drive in Syosset (by the Northen State), that was always my little 'sign' that we were almost home when I was a tiny tot.

They took that tree down last week.

I didn't realize something so simple that I took for granted would make me so sad. There just has to be a better solution than just destruction of this scale.

Message edited 9/25/2014 11:04:40 AM.

Re: Save the 180+ Trees on S. Oyster Bay Road Scheduled for Demo

Here's a link to some photos taken from the scene, just as an FYI. :)

Photos of Tree Removal

Message edited 9/25/2014 12:15:02 PM.

Re: Save the 180+ Trees on S. Oyster Bay Road Scheduled for Demo

Signed! I saw the white Xs on the trees, how sad that they could do this!!

Re: Save the 180+ Trees on S. Oyster Bay Road Scheduled for Demo

Save the 180+ Trees on S. Oyster Bay Road Scheduled for Demo

I had a few people share it from my Fb - hopefully it'll continue to be shared.

Re: Save the 180+ Trees on S. Oyster Bay Road Scheduled for Demo

Re: Save the 180+ Trees on S. Oyster Bay Road Scheduled for Demo

I signed the petition too. I can't believe they are doing this, LI is becoming so ugly. It's sad.

Re: Save the 180+ Trees on S. Oyster Bay Road Scheduled for Demo

Posted by Hofstra26

I signed the petition too. I can't believe they are doing this, LI is becoming so ugly. It's sad.

Message edited 9/26/2014 10:52:10 AM.

Save the 180+ Trees on S. Oyster Bay Road Scheduled for Demo

This is going on all over. Not familiar with Nassau but I feel like they just won't stop until long island is one big commercialized mega center. What is the reason for demolishing these trees? Is it for commercial building? Are they dead or dying?

Re: Save the 180+ Trees on S. Oyster Bay Road Scheduled for Demo

Save the 180+ Trees on S. Oyster Bay Road Scheduled for Demo

Operation Stomp -

This happened in my area out east about ten years ago. Over 120 trees were taken down in one day before I stopped them. Some were over a hundred years old and so big and majestic that three people would have been needed to put their arms around them. I can tell you from experience that you will need to do more than a petition.

I immediately called, and got others to call, my Assemblyman to complain, then went over to his office with a section of tree that had been cut. He got a Stop Work Order from a judge right away and had it delivered to the tree cutting crew. I got a well known local nursery man to give the Assembly man a dollar value of the trees cut down because he needed to know the damage. The Assemblyman eventually demanded from LIPA - who was behind the tree cutting - that value back to replant trees. It took six weeks of hard work, but I got a public, televised apology from the head of LIPA at the time, plus a check from LIPA for $120,000 made out to my town, Southampton, which was used to replant nice size trees. LIPA would not dare do this again out here.

It took a HUGE effort by me to be sure the tree cutting incident got publicity and to get public opinion behind me. You need to do the same. The assemblyman would not have stuck by me if I hadn't gotten a lot of public support and articles in the media. You will need that. Once he saw that people hated what LIPA had done and supported my protests, his spine got strong and he stepped up his efforts to help. He loved getting his picture taken when we won :)

My kids and I put up HUGE signs, 4 x 8 feet, in front of my house which is on a main road and along the route where the trees had been cut saying "Shame on LIPA, Tree Killers" and with a stick figure of a man cutting down a huge tree drawn by my son. It was very clear message and got the point across. Passersby loved it and honked their approval anytime they saw us.

I also got my local papers, plus Newsday, the NY Daily News and the New York Times to come take pictures of our signs and us - mom, DD and DS - all sitting on a cut tree trunk, and got Chanel 12 to come do a story. The reporters were blown away by all of the honking and cheering we got standing by the signs. It was clear to them that everyone felt the same way I did.

Then I went to a LIPA Board meeting and spoke during the public expression time - you get five minutes to address the board. That was scary, its president at the time was a horrible man who yelled so hard at me that my knees actually shook. But I didn't back down. I did learn one thing from that meeting, to not wear a skirt to any place that I might have to stand and talk at, to wear pants instead, so that people won't see my knees shake the next time.

Be prepared to step up your efforts when whoever is behind the tree cutting begins to lie, as they probably will. LIPA tried to say only a few trees had been cut down, so I went out and put numbered flags by each one so the public could judge for themselves as they drove past
(... 101,102, 103, etc.).

They also tried to say the trees were diseased, so I brought cross sections from several trees to my assemblyman so he could see for himself that these were young and healthy trees - the pieces had been left by the loggers, so were easy to collect. I also got the sympathetic nurseryman to look at the cut trees all along the road and at the cross section samples I had so that he backed up my contention to the assemblyman that the trees were healthy. That sort of thing is what you need to do.

I was lucky. This all happened in an election year and all the unfavorable publicity about LIPA whose head was appointed by the governor embarrassed the governor. He finally personally called LIPA"s head and told him to settle it - just make it go away. It took six long and busy weeks to get to that point, but it was well worth it. While I couldn't save the trees that had been cut, I saved others and was able to have many beautiful, good sized trees planted to take their places. Our main road looks lovely and treelined today because of it.

I sincerely wish you good luck!

Message edited 9/26/2014 1:32:12 PM.

Re: Save the 180+ Trees on S. Oyster Bay Road Scheduled for Demo

Sunnyflies, thank you so much for such a thoughtful response. I am running to a rehearsal dinner but I will reply with a longer note later tonight.

We have our work 'cut' out for us, but, I'm definitely going to take your advice and continue our fight.

Appreciate your note greatly.

Save the 180+ Trees on S. Oyster Bay Road Scheduled for Demo

You need not reply as I am sure you are super busy and will need every second you have.

I should have included that it is important to have people call and complain to the top elected officials in whatever town or village that is affected - your town Supervisor, your Mayor. Do it yourself and try to get your friends, relatives & coworkers to do it, to. Then, post the names and phone numbers of elected officials on your Facebook page to make it easy for people to make the call. Post it on here too, so that anyone reading this thread will be able to call.

Calls don't take long, but their effect is big, even if the reception they get is cool. Don't let a cool reception fool you. You will be making an impact. You also might find support. You may not always reach the top officials, but you can always speak to their assistants and leave a short clear message for them to register your complaint.

My DH used to be an elected official so I got to see the inner workings of government on the village, town and county levels (it's not pretty), and I can tell you that phone calls make politicians nervous, because they come from voters.

My town hall got very antsy when it got a steady stream of calls about the trees - all you need are a few a day for a few weeks. It became far more interested in helping solve the situation than it would have been otherwise. It got in touch with the assemblyman and together they came up with a deal that LIPA accepted. Everyone just wanted the problem - and me - to disappear.

Send a letter of complaint to your local newspaper Editor also. He will be happy to print it. Papers thrive on controversy.

Message edited 9/26/2014 7:22:47 PM.

Save the 180+ Trees on S. Oyster Bay Road Scheduled for Demo

I was just on seaman neck rd for the first time in awhile and I can't get over how different it looks without the trees. DH and I noticed it immediately. It looks terrible! I already signed the petition but if I hadnt, I definitely would sign it now.