Queens residents accused of illegally sawing down timber for views – NBC New York
A strolling path in a Queens park results in a number of clearings that should not exist, with some residents accused of illegally chopping down timber on the city-owned land — and gaining waterfront views from their yard within the course of.
The path by means of Powell’s Cove Park within the Faculty Level neighborhood affords lush foliage alongside the shore line. Or at the very least it does till clearings that provide beautiful views of the Whitestone Bridge have began to pop up.
“This shouldn’t be like this. This needs to be very wooded,” stated Kathryn Cervino, of the Coastal Preservation Community.
Cervino’s group helps keep the realm that belongs to the Metropolis of New York. Earlier in November, Cervino came across recent stumps and a person with a noticed.
“I got here throughout any person with a noticed and a ladder, sawing the limbs off of timber and throwing them over on to the shoreline, which was horrifying,” she stated.
The house owner was not residence when visited by NBC New York. As an alternative, Manuel Rueda stated over the telephone that he used his noticed to chop away bamboo encroaching on his land and the inspiration of his residence. He stated he contacted town at the very least 4 instances, and after ready months he determined to take away the bamboo.
“I needed to do it for my land,” he advised Information 4 in Spanish.
Individuals who lower down metropolis timber face a high quality of as much as $15,000.
A fence reveals the road between metropolis property and what belongs to the householders. Somebody even constructed a retaining wall on public land.
The NYC Parks Division says in recent times, it has seen extra trimming within the space. Thus far, nobody has been charged or fined, although the Parks Division added that individuals who stay within the space can anticipate extra patrols, because the injury to the timber was reported to the NYPD.
“Our timber are an important useful resource and an infinite worth to our metropolis,” a consultant for the Parks Division stated. “Damaging or destroying them is prohibited and represents not solely a lack of pure sources however undermines the efforts of Parks employees and volunteers who look after our outside areas.”
Cervino desires to see indicators notifying residents, together with replanting and accountability.
“It is changing into a scenario, I believe, the place one neighbor sees the following neighbor do it, and it is changing into kind of OK to them. However, taking of any public land is prohibited. You possibly can’t you may’t simply redesign a park area even whether it is bordering your yard,” she stated.
