Marked trees follow-up
I just spoke on the telephone with Josephine Scalia from The Forest and Highland Park Administrator’s Office regarding the trees with the spray painted markings. She assured me that those trees were not going to be cut down. She thought that they might have been surveyor's marks, but wasn't certain. While we were speaking she also mentioned that they had been repairing the fences around the reservoir and placing no trespassing signs. She asked that "our group" respect their efforts to keep people out of the basins and elevated paths between the basins.
Angel and several of the regular cyclists and joggers were curious why, after so many years of neglect, are park administrators suddenly concerned about the fences. Does this sudden concern for the reservoir also mean that they are going to begin cracking down on the illegal use of ATVs? If someone from parks reads this, perhaps they can post the answer in the comments section.
Update:
I just spoke with Debbie Kuha, the administrator for Highland and Forest Parks regarding the questions I posed in the above paragraph. Apparently, until relatively recently, the responsibility for maintaining the property was the NYC Department of Environmental Protection and the running track (which is part of the Greenway) was Department of Transportation. In essence, what I understood from the conversation was that they are still working out the administrative transition to Queens Parks. We spoke about the ATVs and she assured my that she will do her best to have the NYPD and PEP catch these people and issue summonses. I don't know if it is within the NYPD's authority, but I suggested confiscating a few as it would send a strong message.
Send us an email
3 comments:
That's exactly what the community was told about the trees at PS49 that were cut down last Friday. "Oh, don't worry, we aren't going to touch the trees."
Never trust what the government tells you.
If they have $$$ to make repairs, they need to start with the light fixtures, all of which have been broken. The vandalized light poles create a real sense of menace which deters a lot of people from enjoying the path around the basins.
Sealing off the elevated paths between the basins prevents any new people from witnessing the great beauty inside, anyone I have brought there has become an instant convert to the cause of preservation.
It would be horrible to think that those who wish to bulldoze parts of the reservoir are suddenly sealing the fences to prevent opposition to their plans from growing.
Christina,
It's always a good thing to question authority.
Post a Comment