SHOULD TREES ENCROACHING ON
SIDEWALKS AND LIFTING CURBS BE
CUT DOWN?
A CONTROVERSY IS BREWING IN ONE
SUBURBAN LONG ISLAND COMMUNITY,
WHERE SIDEWALK AND ROAD REPAIRS
ARE DUE TO BEGIN.
CBS 2'S JENNIFER McLOGAN
REPORTS FROM PORT WASHINGTON
NORTH.
WE LOVE TREES.
YOU PICKED THE RIGHT HOUSE.
Reporter: SUSAN GOLDMAN IS A
TREE HUGGER AND SO IS HER
FAMILY, CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT
ROAD AND CURB IMPROVEMENT IN
PORT WASHINGTON NORTH MIGHT
MEAN TO THEIR PRISTINE VILLAGE.
WE CAN'T HAVE ANY TREES CUT
DOWN.
Reporter: BUT ROOTS OF SOME
OF THE 60-YEAR-OLD MAJESTIC
SYCAMORES AND TOWERING OAK
TREES IN SECTIONS OF STEAMBOAT
AND DRIFTWOOD DRIVES ARE EN
COACHING ON SIDEWALKS AND
LIFTING CURB.
IF WERE UP TO ME AND THE
BOARD, WE WOULD KEEP OUR TREES
INDEFINITELY.
Reporter: THE MAYOR --
BUT UNFORTUNATELY, WE'RE
FACED WITH THE PROJECT THAT
REQUIRES SOME ANALYSIS OF SOME
OF OUR OLDER TREES AND WHAT
IT'S DOING TO OUR
INFRASTRUCTURE.
Reporter: A $300,000 CURB-
TO-CURB ROAD PROJECT AND
SIDEWALK WIDENING REQUIRED BY
THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES
ACT BEGINS THIS SUMMER.
IN SOME LONG ISLAND
COMMUNITIES, RESIDENTS BECAME
SO ENRAGED OVER TREES BEING CUT
DOWN FOR ROAD PROJECTS THAT
THEY SUED.
THIS VILLAGE HOPES TO AVOID
THAT, WELCOMING PUBLIC INPUT.
WE LOVE TREES, BUT THEY'RE
GOING TO PLANT NEW ONES.
WE WANT TO LOOK LIKE NEW
YORK CITY HERE?
Reporter: THIS ARBORIST SAYS
ROOTS SPREAD AT LEAST AS FAR
OUT AS THE TREE IS TALL.
THE ROOTS NEED OXYGEN,
EXCHANGE GASES LIKE THE REST OF
THE TREE.
Reporter: COULD THE
TAXPAYER-FUNDED ROAD REPAIR BE
UPENDED BY CONTINUOUSLY GROWING
ROOTS?
THEY ARE GOING TO USE THE
MONEY FOR THAT, IT SHOULDN'T BE
SOMETHING WE HAVE TO FIX AGAIN.
WE WANT TO PROTECT ALL
TREES, AND, YOU KNOW, I LOVE
TREES.
Reporter: THE VILLAGE
