Mystery of the missing trees in Jericho

Eighty-two trees that lined four blocks of 17th Street in Jericho, from North Broadway west to Ziska Avenue, are gone.

The trees had served as a buffer between the street and the Fairhaven Garden Apartment complex, and their absence is startling -- "You don't see anything natural," according to a nearby resident who called Watchdog to report the trees' disappearance last month.

The Town of Oyster Bay designated the 82 trees for removal, according to Town of Oyster Bay spokeswoman Phyllis Barry, for reasons related to sidewalk safety. "It's not something the town does unless it becomes absolutely necessary," she said.

In this case, the town had received a letter complaining that the sidewalks, which tree roots had caused to heave, had become unsafe. "Once we're put on notice, it puts the property owner on notice," Barry said. "Now that there is written notice, they have a liability issue. Someone who trips and falls could sue."

The town inspected the site and determined that the trees would need to be removed for sidewalk work to be successful, she said, because simply cutting roots back could have disturbed the trees' stability.

The trees are the town's responsibility, she said, and the sidewalks are the responsibility of the apartment complex. The apartment management company asked the town to do the concrete work, she said, and the town will bill the company for the work.

New trees will be planted, Barry said, if possible before winter sets in.

Town says crumbling curb is homeowner's responsibility

Over the past few years, the curbs in front of my house have deteriorated to almost nothing. I believe the concrete used was a bad mixture of cement because my neighbor's curbs are still in pretty good condition. I feel it should be the Town of Hempstead's responsibility to do these repairs.

-- Vincent Antonelli, Seaford

We have a lot of complaints about crumbling curbs in our files here at Community Watchdog, and Mr. Antonelli's curbs rank among the worst.

Within 48 hours of our call, the Town of Hempstead's Highway Department assigned an engineer to review photos we sent and visit the location to determine if crumbling could be the result of a "bad mixture of cement," as Antonelli suspected.

But the town was unable to address that theory. "We have no record of installing curbs there under any of our projects and therefore do not offer any opinion on how it was installed or what type of concrete mix was used," town spokeswoman Susan Trenkle-Pokalsky said in a statement.

The town replaces curbs only if a major road improvement project is being undertaken, she said, or if curbs have been damaged by the town, for instance by a snowplow. In this case, she said, the likely suspect is aging, which means curb repair is Antonelli's responsibility.

A town resident can hire someone to replace a curb or contract with the town to do the job. The cost of the latter, up to $30 per foot, can be added to a homeowner's tax bill over five years, Trenkle-Pokalsky said.

Hempstead residents with curb-related concerns on town roads can call the Highway Department at 516-489-5000.

Left-turn signal needed near mall

There is no left-turn signal at the traffic light just south of the Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream, on West Circle Drive between Walmart and BJ's Wholesale Club. On heavy shopping days the traffic becomes impassable -- particularly to those making a left turn into the parking lots. I've contacted Nassau County and the mall several times with no response. It's only a matter of time before a serious accident occurs there.

-- David Penso, Lynbrook

Improvement is on the way, Mr. Penso, though it's likely to take several months.

After Watchdog's inquiry, Nassau County's Public Works Department conducted a traffic study of the intersection during evening rush hour. The results showed that a left-turn arrow in the westbound lanes would help, as would pedestrian-crossing signals.

"Installation will take place in the spring when warmer weather allows for mixing and pouring of concrete," Nassau spokeswoman Katie Grilli-Robles said in a statement.

Nassau residents with concerns involving signals on county roads can call 516-572-0465.